Odds & Ends: Finale
by 247wonder
Summary: Read beyond the Epilogue as the Triple Beat crew begin their new lives. What is Soundwave planning to ask Audrey, and what happens when the whole group gets turned into dragons! Also, who is Hot Rod and why does he seem to be taking an interest in Melody? This will be the last of the Triple Beat series. Enjoy! (Rated T just to be safe)
1. Family Picnic

**Family Picnic**

"You ready?" Mason asked, hand hovering over the door. Audrey took a deep breath, then nodded.

"Yeah."

Mason knocked.

Audrey couldn't get over how big the house was. It wasn't anything like the little one-story she had grown up in. It was nice to see her parents were being treated well, at least. She knew they hadn't wanted to give her over. However, neither of them were very assertive. It was a matter of intimidation, not bribery.

There was a faint shuffling of footsteps behind the huge door. The deadbolt clicked, and Audrey took another deep breath.

The door swung open just enough to reveal a thin, pale woman behind. She was older, maybe in her early sixties. But Audrey recognized her.

"Mom…"

The woman's eyes filled with tears. Speechless, she looked to Mason.

"It's her, Mom." He assured her.

Still too shocked for words, Emile reached out and touched her daughter's face. So grown up. Audrey smiled, Putting her hand on top of her mother's. Tears rolled down Emile's pale cheeks.

"I thought I would never see you again," She whispered.

Audrey hugged her, wrapping her arms tight around her mother's frail form.

"I love you, mommy."

xxx

Composing herself, Emile brought them inside. Audrey couldn't help but stare. The house wasn't as big as she had expected, but certainly luxurious. Family portraits and old photos lined the walls, leading all the way into the next room. A fine plush couch with wooden legs faced a dusty flat screen TV in the living room, next to it a small table held…

"My phone!" She exclaimed, instantly recognizing the old-fashioned pink landline. Emile chuckled.

"I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it." She said as her daughter ran to examine it. "You loved it so much."

Audrey shook her head. "Why in the world would you let me have this thing? It's hideous!"

"That's what everyone else thought." Mason said, plopping down on the couch. "But you insisted that we get it."

"Oh!" Emile gasped, "I have to call your father. He'll come right home when he hears you're at the house!"

"Oh, don't make him leave the clinic, mom," Audrey said. "We all know how much he loves that place. Besides, it's only an hour or so from closing time. We can make dinner or something while we wait!"

Emile shook her head, picking up the wireless phone from the stand by the door. "He doesn't love the clinic more than you, dear." She told her. "I'm calling him and he's going to come home right now."

As she waited for him to pick up, Audrey sighed. She knew better than to argue with her mother. Especially now that she had just gotten home.

"Are you going to tell them about everyone else?" She asked. Mason shrugged, butting his arms behind his head and kicking up his feet.

"Eventually. " He said. "Just enjoy the moment, will ya?"

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Sure. 'oh, by the way, mom and dad, we invited a few 30-foot-tall friends over for dinner. Hope you don't mind!'"

"They won't." Mason assured her. "Have you seen the size of the backyard?"

"Your father's on his way." Emile reported, putting down the phone. "He'll be a few minutes, so I want you to tell me all about what's been going on these past three years. We all thought you were dead!"

"Yeah, Audrey," Mason smirked, "Why don't you tell us?"

"Shut up," Audrey said playfully, eyeing him. Turning back to her mother, she sighed. "It's a really long story…"

xxx

Philip arrived in a matter of minutes. Audrey was far from finished telling her mother about all that had happened the past few years. She had barely reached the part where Soundwave had rescued her from Knockout when her father rushed in.

"Audrey!" He cried, she ran and embraced him.

"I'm home, daddy," She said into his shoulder.

"You certainly are!" He exclaimed, pulling away. "Look at you!"

She grinned, "I guess it's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"More than a while," Her father sighed. "It's been too long since I saw my little girl."

They hugged again, and went to join the others.

"Audrey was just telling me about what's been going on all this time." Emile informed her husband. "She's been through a lot, so go easy on her. She just got here, after all."

Philip chuckled. "I'll be good, Emi."

Audrey sighed. "I'm a little tired, though," She said. "Plus, I haven't had a decent shower in the past three years, and I was hoping I could take one here…"

"Oh, of course, dear!" Her mother replied, "I'll take you right up. I'll even fill up the tub, if you like."

Audrey smiled. "Thanks, mom."

"What about me?" Philip asked. "Don't I get to spend some time with my daughter before the disappears again?"

"Sorry daddy," Audrey said, "... But you probably don't want me stinking at the dinner table. I promise I'll tell you the whole story… Besides, Mason has a few things to tell you, too."

She gave him a quick kiss, then followed her mother up the stairs to the master bathroom.

Philip sighed, watching them go.

"She's so grown up," He said. "I almost didn't recognize her!"

Mason chuckled. "You haven't got a clue how much she's grown."

"And what about you?" His father questioned. "She said you had something to tell us."

Mason grimaced. "Yeah… about that… do you still have that stash of Energon I brought up here a while back?"

"Yes, it's in the basement. Why?"

"Well… we invited a few friends…"

xxx

While the boys hauled Energon up from the basement, Audrey followed her mother through the upstairs hall into the master bedroom. At first, she mistook it for a second living room…

"This room is huge!" She exclaimed, gawking at the perfectly made bed. Beside it, a rocking chair was dwarfed next to the leather recliner. Both of which faced an old TV set, this one well used, unlike the one downstairs.

"Well, It's all been nothing without you." Emile sighed. "I still regret the day I allowed them to take you two."

Audrey shook her head. "I've told you before, mom, It wasn't your fault. They forced you, and it wasn't right. But we're here now, aren't we? Let's just enjoy that."

Emile smiled. Audrey had always been so positive. Little did she know of the hardships her optimistic daughter had faced in the past years.

The bathroom was equally impressive. Audrey didn't know that such large bathtubs existed!

"There's towels in the cupboard," Emile told her, starting the water. "You take your time, and I'll start dinner. I should have all the ingredients to make your favorite…"

"Thanks, mom," Audrey said, giving her a hug as she turned to leave. "Love you."

Emile smiled. "I love you too, dear."

xxx

After about an hour, Audrey forced herself to drain the tub and dry off. She found a hair dryer and comb in one of the drawers. It took a few minutes to tame her hair, as it hadn't been combed in over three years. After ripping out the worst knots, she decided it would do.

 _Mom probably won't mind if I borrow some old clothes,_ Audrey thought, eyeing her filthy jeans. She stepped into the bedroom and opened the closet. It didn't take long to find a new outfit. To her surprise, everything fit quite well.

Coming back down the stairs, she followed the smell of barbeque out the sliding glass door to the backyard patio.

"Wow!" She exclaimed, seeing the buffet that had been set out on the table.

"Feeling better, honey?" Her father asked, tending to the grill. "Your mother's been busy making everything."

"I hope there's enough," Emile said, adding a bowl of red jell-o to the spread.

"Enough!" Audrey laughed, "Mom, you must think _enough_ is trying to feed an army!"

Mason chuckled. "Yeah. After all, it's just going to be the four of us."

Audrey stared at him. "Mason, didn't you tell them about…?"

"I did! I did!" He assured her. "We've got them covered."

He motioned to a pile of Energon cubes and canisters stacked beside the house.

"Good," Audrey sighed, "What time is it, anyway? They could be here any-"

At that very moment, a flash of green lit up the yard. Vibes was first to hop out of the bridge, beaming. Melody and Soundwave followed close behind, with little Orion in his mother's arms,

"Hi!" Vibes waved, Mason grinned.

"Hello, Vibes," Emile greeted. The twins had visited before, and it was nice to see they were alright, too.

Audrey and Mason morphed to greet their Cybertronian family.

"He's getting bigger every day!" Audrey exclaimed, fawning over the sparkling.

"You don't know the half of it," Melody sighed, "I've never heard a sparkling scream so loud!"

Audrey chuckled, "At least you have your own place now. He'd be keeping everyone awake on the ship!"

"Oh, Melody, darling!" Emile called, "Is that your little one?"

Audrey bent down and helped her mother up to see the sparkling.

"I named him after his father," Melody said. "Orion Pax."

"What a sweet child." She cooed. "How are you handling it? Being a mother, I mean."

"It's not easy, but Audrey and Mason and the others have been a real help."

Emile nodded. "Yes, I remember when I first had Mason I needed all the help I could get."

"Mom!" Mason cried. They laughed.

After catching up for a few minutes, everyone settled down to eat. Vibes and Melody sat in the grass with their Energon while Soundwave stood to the side, keeping an eye on Orion while his mother took a break.

"Audrey," Philip said quietly from across the table, "You still haven't introduced us to your other friend, there."

Audrey followed his gaze to Soundwave, surprised Mason hadn't already told him. She swallowed the piece of rib she had been chewing.

"That's Soundwave," She said. "Vibes and Melody's brother. He's the one that helped me while I was being held on the Decepticon ship."

"Well then," Her father chuckled, "He must be something special."

"What do you mean?" Audrey asked, confused. Her mother smiled.

"You were blushing, dear."

Meanwhile, Soundwave fought the urge to grin. Of course, he had heard the whole thing. It was hard for anything to slip past his audio receptors.

He looked down at Orion. His nephew.

It was a strange feeling, being an uncle. Knowing how his sisters had grown up in his absence. It was too bad, though, that Optimus had to go so soon. Things would have been better with him around.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" He murmured, sitting down next to the sparkling. Orion turned over in his sleep, little servos searching for something to grasp. Soundwave offered his hand, watching fondly as the child's tiny fingers gripped his.

"What do you think of her?" He asked the sparkling. He glanced up at the table where the humans sat. "After all, she might be your aunt, someday."

Orion muttered some sparkling gibberish, sticking his free hand in his mouth.

Soundwave chuckled. "I'll take it that means you like her, too."

xxx

The picnic lasted well into the evening, and the group enjoyed a beautiful sunset together. As the twins got ready to return home, however, Soundwave took a moment to speak to Philip in private.

"I must thank you again for taking care of my daughter," Philip said to the mech. "I really don't know how to repay you."

"I only had one request…" Soundwave told him.

"Anything!" Philip insisted. "Whatever you want."

"Just your permission should do." Soundwave said.


	2. Truth or Dare

**So these two chapters (** _ **Truth or Dare**_ **and** _ **A Birthday Surprise**_ **) Were originally supposed to be one chapter, but it ended up being too long. Also, I wasn't sure what to call it for a 2 part chapter, so it will just be two seperate chapters... Just thought I should meniotn that. :3 Enjoy, and God bless!**

 **-Wonder**

xxx

 **Truth or Dare**

It was a human game Vibes had discovered, and insisted the others play.

"Come on!" She pleaded, "It'll be _fun_!"

Audrey shook her head. "No way, Vi." She said. "I have terrible memories of Truth or Dare. There is no way you can get me to-"

"It's only a game, Audrey," Soundwave coaxed. "How bad can it be? Besides, it could give you something to do while I'm working."

Audrey groaned inwardly at the reminder. Ever since Soundwave had started work at the new Iacon archive, she had been left alone on the ship. Without anyone to operate the spacebridge, she couldn't visit her parents on Earth, and Melody was handeling Orion well enough on her own. Mason had left a few days ago to tend to his animals on Earth, and she regretted not joining him. Most of her days now were spent in boredom.

She sighed. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her friend… and it _would_ ease the silence.

"Fine," she said at last. "... Just as long as you don't make me do anything stupid."

Vibes grinned happily. "I won't, I promise."

Soundwave smiled a little. "Good. Have fun, then, I need to get going."

"Bye," Audrey said sadly. She always hated seeing him leave.

Soundwave opened a portal and stepped through, disappearing as it closed behind him.

Audrey turned to Vibes. The fem's grin had turned mischievous.

"Let's get this over with…" Audrey sighed.

xxx

As Audrey had expected, Vibes had "slightly modified" the rules of the game. For every truth, the player had to do a dare.

"Alright," she surrendered, knowing that Vibes would get what she wanted either way. "I'll start with Truth."

Vibes thought for a moment, then smiled. Audrey took a breath, readying herself for whatever the femme had come up with.

"... What is your favorite thing about Soundwave?"

Audrey could feel the heat rush to her face. Of _course_ it had to be something about Soundwave.

She bit her lip, running a list of possibilities through her mind. Something meaningful, but not too intimate.

"His calmness." She finally said. Vibes looked disappointed.

 _Good_ Thought Audrey. She had kept it real, but not embarrassing. Perhaps she was better at this game than she thought…

The game went fairly well. For the first few turns, at least. Audrey was actually enjoying herself, not to mention getting to know Vibes better. It wasn't until her fourth dare that the game became a war.

"You want me to _what_?!"

"Kiss Soundwave." Vibes smirked, "In front of everyone at the Archive."

"You _promised_ you wouldn't make me do anything stupid!"

" _I_ don't think it's stupid." Vibes said. "Don't you like him?"

Audrey groaned. "Yes, but it's _embarrassing_!"

"Embarrassing, not stupid." Vibes smiled. "Let's go, then!"

She got up and walked to the ground bridge controls.

"Hey!" Audrey exclaimed, getting up after her. "Since when do you know how to work the bridge?"

"Since Ratchet showed me." Vibes replied coolly.

"You couldn't have told me earlier?"

"Does it matter?" Vibes looked confused. Audrey sighed.

"Let's just go. We're going to talk about this later, though."

Vibes shrugged. "Whatever you say."

xxx

The portal opened not a hundred meters from where Soundwave was working. He pretended not to notice.

Audrey looked around at all the other boys working there. Soundwave, of course, was in the center of the room. She groaned quietly, looking at Vibes. The femme just watched expectantly.

Sighing, Audrey moved out into the room. Coming up behind Soundwave, she tried to think of how she could do it without drawing the attention of the other workers…

Glancing back at Vibes, she forced herself forward. Reaching for Soundwave's arm, she spun him to face her. The kiss was brief and insincere, but she had gotten it over with. Blushing furiously, she turned and went quickly back to Vibes.

"You're going to get it now," Audrey muttered, though she couldn't help smiling a little.

xxx

From that moment, the game became a battle of wits. In the end, the only thing that got hurt was their pride, which-in both cases-would heal fairly quickly.

Before they knew it, the two friends were back at the ship, laughing hysterically.

"Did you see Knockout's face?!" Vibes gasped, barely able to keep herself together. Audrey grinned.

"Yeah. He's obviously never danced before. Let alone with such a pretty girl."

Vibes snorted. "Very funny, Audrey. I'm not _that_ pretty."

"Mason seems to think so." Audrey smirked.

"Somebody call me?"

Audrey jumped, turning to see her brother walk up.

"Mason! How long have you been here?"

He shrugged. "Just got here. Came to let you know that everything's ready."

Audrey looked at him, confused. Vibes seemed to know what he meant.

"Oh! Good!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "But Soundwave's not here yet, we'll have to-"

"I'm here."

No one had noticed the portal open. Soundwave stepped out to join them.

"I assume it's time to go to Earth, then?" He asked, seeing Mason.

"Yep!" He replied, then grinned. "You ready?"

Soundwave glanced away. "We'll see."

"Would anyone care to tell me what's going on?" Audrey intervened, still left in the dark. Vibes and Mason just smiled.

"You'll find out soon enough!" Vi told her, winking. Then, to Mason, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Mason chuckled, typing coordinates into the bridge controls. Once the two disappeared through the portal, Audrey started to follow them. Soundwave held her back.

"Wait,"

She stopped, turning to look at him.

"What is it?" She asked. He seemed anxious. Nervous, almost.

"You came to the archive…"

Audrey blushed, remembering. "Vibes dared me," She explained, "I really didn't mean to embarrass you. I told her…"

Soundwave smiled a little. "Audrey, I wasn't embarrassed."

She stopped, listening.

"... Everyone at the archive already knows about us. I do talk about you occasionally. I hope you don't mind."

Audrey blinked, somewhat surprised. And, admittedly, flattered.

"Audrey," Soundwave spoke carefully now. "... Do you love me?"

"Yes," She answered immediately, not having to think. It was easy to recognize the feeling, now. Yes, she did love him. But it was a different love than what she shared with her brother or parents. Different from the love she had shared with Akiko.

Soundwave seemed to relax a bit.

Audrey suddenly remembered the portal. It would close if they didn't get through in time.

"We should get going," She said, sorry to break the moment. Soundwave nodded, taking her hand and going through with her.


	3. A Birthday Surprise

**A Birthday Surprise**

Audrey couldn't have been more shocked by what she saw on the other side. Her parents' backyard, with all her friends and family-both human and cybertronian-waiting for her.

" _Surprise!_ " They all yelled together. Audrey held on to Soundwave's hand, stunned at first. But as she looked around, it began to click. Decorations hung in the trees and on the side of the house. Tables held all kinds of food, and Energon for the non-human guests.

What day was it?

Audrey gasped.

"Happy birthday, little girl!" Mason laughed, coming up and giving her a light punch on the shoulder. A smile slowly spread over her face. A birthday party! It felt like forever since she had a birthday…

"Wow!" She finally said, looking around at the others. All the autobots were there, even a still-dazed Knockout. Axle was there, too. "... You all came for this?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Melody smiled, balancing Orion on her hip. "You're family!"  
Audrey grinned. It was one of the happiest moments she had had in a long time.

"Come over here, sweetheart," Her mother said from the ground. "I've brought out all the pictures I could find of you since you were a baby."

Audrey morphed to her human form and gazed at the picture book. Flipping through it, she saw other happy moments. The happiest moments of her life. Before being taken… before any of it.

Her child self beamed at her from the pictures. Playing with Mason, eating ice cream, making a mess with easter egg dye.

"Mom…" She breathed, "This is…"

"For you." Emile smiled. Audrey looked at her, shocked.

"But-!"

"I had copies made, don't worry." She said. "Those are for you to keep. Consider it your birthday present from us."

Audrey smiled, hugging her mother. "Thank you." She whispered.

Emile pulled away, giving her a daughter a quick kiss before speaking again;

"Well, now that the birthday girl's here, we can start the party!"

xxx

The birthday was fantastic. The best that Audrey could remember. Though the rest of her human family hadn't been allowed to come, she was happy to visit her parents. Mingling with her cybertronian friends, she almost forgot about the main part…

"Time for cake!" called Philip. Audrey and Mason went to the table in human form. The cake wasn't big, considering there were only four people to eat it. Even so, it was beautiful.

"You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find pumpkin spice cake out of season." Emile chuckled, Audrey grinned, touched to hear her mother had remembered her favorite things all these years. Suddenly, she realized this wasn't an ordinary birthday…

"Wait!" She gasped, "How old am I? I was in stasis for three years, so…"

"Twenty." Mason filled in for her. Then he smirked, "We didn't have enough candles to put on the cake."

"Twenty…" Audrey repeated. It felt odd. She knew she was older, but it just didn't feel like much time had passed. Probably from being asleep so long.

"Okay, grandma," her father laughed, "Let's get you your cake so you can go take your afternoon nap."

Audrey giggled. " _Da_ _d_ _!_ "

xxx

The cake was delicious, as expected. Even though it was store bought, Audrey thought it was a nice touch. Despite her mother's vast knowledge of cooking, she had somehow never learned the recipe for pumpkin spice cake.

As the evening went on, the party quieted down. No one had anywhere in particular to go, so the group continued to chatter quietly over Energon and punch. Eventually, Emile and Philip began to take leftover food inside, refusing Audrey's offers to help. All the while, Soundwave watched quietly. It was almost time.

"Hey, Audrey," Vibes said, Audrey turned to see her friend holding out a small box. (Well, small for a cybertronian, at least) Being in her cyberform, Audrey took it, looking at Vibes curiously.

"What's this?" She asked.

"A birthday present!" She smiled, "We wanted to wait until the end to give it to you."

Audrey didn't know who she meant by 'we'. Perhaps her and Melody had gotten her something? Everyone seemed to be in suspense as she opened the lid. Inside was…

"Hey," She said, pulling it out. "This is Soundwave's visor…"

"There's something written on it." Vibes told her, trying to conceal a grin.

Audrey turned it over in her hands, finding the message etched on the back.

 _In the darkest hour, there was yet light_

 _In the midst of war, there was hope_

 _In the most dismal hour, there was a defiant cry of joy_

 _In the clutches of illness, there was healing_

 _This is a symbol of all the most_

 _horrible things that have ever happened_

 _But in your hands_

 _It can be renewed_

I looked up. The group had parted to leave Soundwave standing alone, looking back at me.

Taking a breath, he walked forward.

"Soundwave-"

"Audrey."

She was silent, lost once again in his rich violet optics.

"... Not too long ago, I told you that I would never leave you alone. I fully intend on keeping that promise."

He paused, taking something else from the box that Vibes still held.

Audrey gasped as she felt her heart begin to pound.

 _A ring…_

No one spoke as Soundwave knelt before her. The ring was unlike any she would have expected. A silver band with a small blue stone. Energon, perhaps…

"Audrey… will you marry me?"

Her reply was instant and had no need for thought.

" _Yes_ _!_ "


	4. Have We Met Before?

**Have We Met Before?**

Hot Rod didn't hate his job, but it wasn't the most glamorous, either. Being a clerk at the local law enforcement station had its dull moments, but there were perks as well. Ultra Magnus, the chief officer, was kinder to him than most.

On his way to pick up a case file from the next station, Hot Rod was distracted by the cry of a sparkling.

"Orion, please!" The child's mother coaxed, "Please don't cry…"

The sparkling continued to wail, tiny legs dragging as the femme tried to get him to stand up again.

Hot Rod's spark lurched, nearly causing him to stumble into a passerby.

"Sorry," He murmured, his attention still on the sparkling.

The femme was obviously in a hurry. The child didn't seem to care, however. Determined to make a scene, he slumped to the ground.

"Orion, get up!"

 _Maybe I should help her…_ Thought Hot Rod. A part of him felt that he should. No one else seemed to noticed the screaming child and flustered mother. Let alone stopped to help her carry the boxes she held.

"Hey, Miss!" He called, moving through the crowd. "Do you need some help?"

The femme looked up at him, seeming a little surprised.

"Oh, no thank you." She said, balancing the boxes on one hip while pulling her son up by the hand. "He's just tired…"

Hot Rod couldn't help but look at her. She was beautiful, and… somehow, she seemed familiar.

"... Have we met before?" He asked, tilting his head. It was odd… he knew he had never seen her before, but his spark seemed to recognize her.

Flustered, the femme glanced at him again.

"I don't think so." She sighed, "... Orion, _stand up_ , please!"

The sparkling grumbled, straightening up.

"Good. Let's go then-"

Orion didn't move.

"Orion?"

The sparkling stared at Hot Rod with huge blue eyes. His mother reached to grab his hand. Before she could grab him, Orion rushed to Hot Rod, clinging to his leg.

"Oh-!" Hot Rod steadied himself, staring down at the child.

"Orion! Come here!" The femme bent down and scooped him up. The child screeched in protest, tiny hands scrabbling to hang on to Hot Rod.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, balancing Orion on her other side while still carrying the boxes. "He's not usually like this."

"It's alright," Hot Rod assured her. "... You're sure you don't need any help?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, thank you."

As she walked away, Hot Rod couldn't help but be amazed. Not only was she beautiful, but independent and a little headstrong. There was something about her, however, that seemed to be hidden beneath her strong front.

All through the night, Hot Rod couldn't stop thinking about the femme and her sparkling, Orion. He hadn't got her name, he realized, and agonized over it. Why was she so familiar? Why had the child been so drawn to him?

His spark seemed to hold the answers, though he still couldn't understand.

xxx

Optimus' spirit was restless. From the moment he had entered the heart of Cybertron, his consciousness had been trapped within his spark. It didn't take long to find a worthy body. Hot Rod was much similar to how the Prime himself had been in his youth. However, it felt odd to reside in another mech's body. He could sense Hot Rod's emotions, read his thoughts, but could not transmit his own.

They had seen Melody earlier that day. Optimus couldn't bear to see her alone with the child.

It was odd. The sparkling seemed to recognize him, clinging to Hot Rod. It would be a struggle to return to her, if it was even possible.

Hot Rod was confused, and a little flustered by the encounter. He felt recognition, but didn't understand why.

 _You have to go to her._ Optimus urged. _Find her._

xxx

Find her.

Hot Rod couldn't think of anything else as he went about work the next few weeks. Every time he heard a sparkling's cry, he jumped, hoping to see her again. Hoping to find her… to insist upon some way of helping her.

He had to find her…

"You seem distracted, Hot Rod." Ultra Magnus' voice broke his thoughts. Hot Rod shook his head, coming back into the present. He was still in front of the computer, trying to complete the same task he had been working on for the past hour.

"Just a little tired, sir." he explained, starting to type again. "I'll be fine."

Ultra Magnus stared at him. Obviously, there was something on his mind. According the the security feeds, Hot Rod had been up all night several times recently. Wandering aimlessly around the complex, the mech was obviously anxious about something.

"In that case, I have a job for you."

xxx

It felt good to get out of the station for a while. Hot Rod made good time getting to the archive. Data runs were common in his job, but this one quickly proved different.

"Hello, Hot Rod." Soundwave greeted him from the main computer. "What are you looking for today?"

"I need all the files you have on this mech." Hot Rod said, handing him the data tablet. Crime wasn't a massive problem in Centralis, but Ultra Magnus took his job seriously. That included running a full background check on a suspect for minor felony.

"I'll see what I can find."

While Soundwave started searching the archive, Hot Rod looked around. The archive often featured historical documents preserved from the Golden Age. Some of them were actually quite interesting, but Hot Rod was too distracted to read any of them. The femme from before was still on his mind. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

"Orion, don't bother your uncle, he's busy."

Hot Rod's attention snapped towards the sound of her voice.

Orion squealed in delight as Soundwave picked him up and passed him back to his mother.

"I didn't expect to see you here today, Melody" Soundwave said to her.

 _Melody._ Thought Hot Rod. _Her name is Melody._

She shrugged. "Things get quiet around the house, even with Orion running around."

Soundwave nodded. "I understand." He said quietly. "How are you doing, then?"

"I'm alright."

It didn't sound like she was. Hot Rod felt his spark convulse. It was almost painful, the way his heart lurched towards her. He put a hand to his chest, a vain attempt to ease his restless spark.

"I'll be on break soon, so why don't you just stay here for a minute and we can go somewhere together?" Soundwave suggested. "It might get your mind off… you know."

"Okay."

Melody took Orion aside, and Hot Rod watched from where he stood.

 _Go to her_. Said a voice in his head. He wasn't sure whether it was his own.

Without thinking, he walked up to her. Orion spotted him and reached out.

"Uh!" went the sparkling, his tiny hand grabbing empty air.

Melody turned, seeing him standing there.

"Oh, hello again," She said, smiling. "I don't think I've seen you here before. Do you work here, too?"

"What? Oh, no. I work for Ultra Magnus. I'm just here to pick up some files."

"Ah." Melody glanced downward. "By the way, thank you for offering to help me. No stranger has done that for us before."

Hot Rod stared at her. He could sense the pain hidden beneath her calm tone.

"... I couldn't help overhearing you talking a moment ago," He told her. "Is Soundwave your brother?"

She nodded. "Yes. We come here often to visit him."

"Oh."

Melody looked at him, tilting her head. She looked like she was about to ask something when Soundwave walked up.

"Here's those files you asked for, Hot Rod." He said, handing back the data tablet.

"Thanks," Hot Rod replied.

Soundwave turned to his sister. "Let's go pick up Audrey and we'll go somewhere together."

"Okay." Melody smiled, looking back to Hot Rod. "It was nice to meet you."

"... Nice to meet you, too…" he replied, somewhat dazed.

Before he knew it, she had left.

xxx

Melody came home once again to an empty house. Sighing, she turned on the lights and set Orion down.

"Time for bed, now." She told him. The sparkling yawned, exhausted from walking around the city all afternoon. Melody smiled a little. Orion was so sweet. Obnoxious, at times, but mostly sweet. He did well not knowing about his father.

Melody, however, had to live with the memory.

That mech she had seen at the archive… his name was Hot Rod. Somehow, he reminded her of him. Soft spoken, and kind. However, his demeanor couldn't be more different. It was almost amusing. Optimus had been stoic. A wise and logical leader. Hot Rod, on the other hand, seemed nervous and a little skittish. No, they weren't the same… but she couldn't get it out of her head.

 _Oh, Optimus…_ She thought, following Orion as he toddled to his room. _If only you were here._


	5. Love Lives On

**Love Lives On**

Audrey felt the pain again. It was time.

"Are we almost there?" She asked, trying to steady her breathing.

"Almost," Soundwave replied, trying to stay calm himself. "The process might be different since you're part human, but-"

"I know, Ratchet went over it with me." She breathed, closing her eyes "Just let me know when we're there, okay?"

Soundwave nodded, holding onto her hand. Wincing, she squeezed tighter.

 _Don't worry,_ He thought, _We'll get there, don't worry…_

He wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself.

xxx

They arrived at the well of Allsparks in good time. Soundwave helped Audrey to where where Ratchet stood in the doorway of the clinic.

"Come on," Said the medic, taking her other hand. "... Soundwave, perhaps it's better if you wait here with the others."

Soundwave nodded dumbly, watching as he turned and took Audrey in. Soundwave's spark was racing. He didn't hear the other transports pull up.

"Where's Audrey?" Vibes called, hopping out of one. Melody followed behind her, Orion in tow.

"We came as soon as we could," Mason said. "But there was traffic."

"Is my daughter alright?" Emile looked worried through the screen of her helmet. The government back on Earth had been kind to lend them the protective suits. Philip stood beside his wife, doing his best to keep her calm.

Soundwave didn't know what to say. He was more anxious than all of them. He glanced back at the clinic.

"Don't worry about her, Soundwave," Melody said gently. "She's strong, and by the end of the day, you'll be a proud father."

xxx

Hours passed. Mason volunteered to get Energon and snacks.

He returned just in time from 7/11 to see the others gathered together, watching the well.

"What's going on? Where's Soundwave?" He asked, carefully setting down the bags. Vibes waved him over to watch.

"Ratchet said it's time," She whispered. "Any moment now, there could be-"

Suddenly, a tiny sphere of light flew out of the well and towards the clinic. Mason gasped, ducking out of the way as it went past. The light disappeared through the wall, and for a long time, there was silence.

And then… a faint cry.

Ratchet appeared in the entrance. "You all can come in, now," He said, smiling a little.

xxx

Vibes couldn't stop grinning. Mason held Emile and Philip to see their granddaughter, nuzzled against her mother's chest. Soundwave sat beside Audrey, one arm over her shoulder as he gazed lovingly at the sparkling.

"What are you going to name her?" Vibes asked.

"We've decided on Harmony," Audrey answered.

The sparkling stirred, as if responding to her name.

"I always knew I would have some interesting grandkids, but this is a little more than I expected." Philip chuckled. Mason rolled his eyes.

"Ratchet told us that she'll need careful monitoring in her first few years." Soundwave said. "No one knows for sure, but she may even inherit Audrey's ability to change forms."

"Look at your new baby cousin, Orion," Melody said, guiding her son over to see as well. Orion stood on his toes and stared at the infant, curious.

"Why's she so small?" He asked, looking confused. Melody laughed a little.

"She'll get bigger over time. That's about the size you were at her age."

"She doesn't have any color."

"Not yet. That takes time, too."

Orion was quiet for a moment. Harmony squirmed, blinking. She stared back at him for a moment, her bright teal eyes locking with his sky-blue ones.

"Mm-uh," She gurgled, tired eyes shutting again. Orion thought for a moment.

"I like her."

Melody smiled. "I figured you would."

"Something tells me these two are going to be really close." Soundwave mused, looking at his nephew.

"Do you want us to stay, Audrey?" Emile asked. "Mason has a place for us at his apartment here, if you do."

Audrey nodded. "That would be nice."

xxx

Harmony grew into a delightful little girl, and, as Soundwave predicted, she stuck close to her cousin. The two were like brother and sister. In time, they would go on to have many adventures together.

… _And love lives on._


	6. Another (No Death in Love)

**Okay so this is probably one of my most favorite chapters ever to write for Triple Beat. WARNING: MAJOR FEELS. Also, I couldn't decided on a title. Anyway, please enjoy! :3**

xxx

 **Another (No Death in Love)**

Orion chewed his finger as he walked behind his mother, boredom taking over. It was another one of those days.

Melody had promised him that they would go to see Harmony at the clinic later, but, of course, they had to run errands first.

"Hurry up, Orion," said his mother, beckoning him to her side. He shuffled forward a little faster, holding her hand as they approached the shop.

Orion didn't pay attention to what his mother was talking about with the vendor. He didn't care. The mech across the walkway caught his attention. He had seen him before, lots of times, actually. Hot Rod, was his name. Orion stared at him, but Hot Rod didn't seem to notice. He was looking at Melody.

It wasn't a greedy look. Nor was it judging. It was just kind of a sad look. Far-away.

Slipping his hand out of his mother's fingers, Orion moved away from her side. Still chewing the tip of his finger, he stood in front of Hot Rod and stared up at him.

"Oh, hello, there…" Hot Rod said, looking down. "Aren't you supposed to be with your mother?"

Orion looked over at Melody. He decided he hadn't strayed too far. Looking back at Hot Rod, he asked the obvious question;

"Do you like my mom?"

Hot Rod blinked, surprised. An invisible blush warmed his faceplate.

"What? N-no! I mean, not like _that,_ but…"

"You look at her a lot." Orion stated, recalling all the other times he had seen Hot Rod.

"Not in a bad way!" He defended, "It's just that-"

"Orion!"

Melody came and took her son by the hand.

"What are you doing over here? You can't just walk off like that!" Glancing up, she paused.

"Oh, hello, Hot Rod." She said, straightening up and casting a tired look at her son. "I'm sorry, Orion wasn't bothering you, was he?"

Hot Rod shook his head quickly. "No! No, he's fine. I'm on break, anyway, and I was just wondering…if…" He hesitated, praying not to back out after all the hours of rehearsal he had gone through to get to this moment. "... If you'd like to go somewhere together sometime? It doesn't have to be today, but I was just wondering if you'd like to-"

Melody smiled a little. He was flustered, and obviously embarrassed. She decided to give the poor mech a chance.

"That sounds lovely, Hot Rod." She said. "I'm free tomorrow afternoon. Meet me at the Archive whenever you like."

Hot Rod perked up. "Okay! I'll be there. What time works best for you? I mean, I know you just said you're free for the afternoon, but surely you have some kind of plans going on at some point, and I would hate to intrude…"

As he rambled on, Melody just grinned, shaking her head. Somehow, he still reminded her of Optimus.

xxx

After a successful first "date", Melody and Hot Rod continued to meet from time to time. Hot Rod felt the nagging feeling at the back of his mind begin to fade. Melody appreciated the company.

"Can I tell you something?" Melody asked on a particularly quiet night. They were at her house having Energon after Orion had gone to sleep.

Realizing she wanted an answer, Hot Rod nodded.

"Sure," He said. "... What is it?"

Melody gazed out the window, looking out at the twinkling lights of the city.

"You probably already know my former husband was Optimus Prime."

"Yes." Hot Rod said quietly. He knew it was a delicate topic. Somehow, though, it didn't seem right. It didn't seem like Optimus was truly dead.

"I rarely tell people the story of how we met, but I've decided it only hurts more to keep it to myself."

She paused for a moment, and Hot Rod listened carefully. It was rare that she told him anything so personal, especially regarding her former husband.

"... Vibes and I landed on Earth in separate locations." She started. "I was taken in by the Autobots, and she was found by the Decepticons. Of course, I didn't know that when I woke up. I was afraid that they would turn on me if they found out my brother was a Deception, so I lied to them. I told them my name was Mantra, and I made up a fake backstory to answer all their questions. Of course… I couldn't live with that for long. I'm not the type that can get away with lying and just move on. One night… I decided I was going to end the pain."

"You mean you were going to-?"

Melody nodded. "I was thinking about it. But that's where Optimus comes in. He found me at the last second and I lost it. I begged him to kill me… and he said no."

 _No._

Hot Rod's spark convulsed so violently he nearly doubled over. A million thoughts flew through his mind. Memories, though they weren't his own. Lost images from a time he had never seen, and…

And _Melody._

"What's wrong?" She stared at him, concerned. He looked up, and she had to keep from yalping in shock.

His bright orange optics had turned blue.

 _Just like Optimus…_

Hot Rod seemed just as shocked as her, whispering;

"I remember."

xxx

"The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is that Optimus's spark chose his body as a vessel during Cybertron's repopulation." Ratchet said.

"You mean, he's Optimus in a different body?" Melody was still confused. Ratchet shook his head.

"Not exactly. I can't tell you everything, since I don't fully understand it myself. However, it is possible that if he does, indeed, have Optimus' spark, Hot Rod could be receiving is memories somehow."

Hot Rod didn't say anything. He stared at the floor, not listening to what the two were talking about.

It was her. Standing at the edge of a cliff in the dark. Tears pouring from her eyes as she fell to her knees before him, begging.

" _Please kill me…_ "

" _No._ "

Hot Rod finally looked up. Ratchet and Melody had stopped talking and were staring at him. He sighed, stepping off the berth and walking to the window. It was morning. He had spent the night awake with this new development.

How would this change the days to come?

"Hot Rod," Melody came to his side, "... Are you alright?"

He was quiet for a long time, then replied,

"... It's just a lot to take in."

"You'll probably need some time to get used to it," Ratchet said. "Especially now that you're starting to notice the difference. "

Hot Rod didn't reply. Staring out the window a minute longer, he turned away.

"I'm going home."

xxx

Melody thought about Hot Rod all that day. It certainly was strange. It explained why he had seemed so familiar.

The question kept coming back to her.

 _Do you still love him?_

It was certainly a difficult situation. She had never considered finding a new lover. Vibes and Audrey and Soundwave had all done their best to support her, but now they were all busy. Audrey had her own baby, and Soundwave was working extra hours to support his new family. Vibes had gone to Earth with Mason as ambassadors of Cybertron for the formation of the Interplanetary Alliance. They wouldn't be back anytime soon.

Staring out the window of the transport, she sighed. Orion was asleep in her lap. He was getting older, but he was still quite a handful. Especially for just one parent. Now that he was talking, he was determined to speak his mind. He certainly hadn't inherited his father's quiet, thoughtful demeanor.

"Oh, Optimus," She said quietly, stroking her son's helm. "... Is this what you would want?"

xxx

Arriving at the house, Melody carried Orion out of the transport. The door closed behind her and the craft hovered back into the crowded airways.

"Need some help?"

Melody turned to see him standing at the door.

"Hot Rod?"

He walked up and took the sleeping sparkling from her.

"I wanted to apologize for leaving so quickly this morning." He explained, following her into the house.

"It's alright," She assured him, "We've both got a lot to think about, now."

He nodded, following her to Orion's room and laying the sparkling gently on his berth.

Closing the door behind her, Melody sighed quietly.

"I can't imagine how hard this must be for you." She said. "Getting mixed up in all of this."

He shook his head. "It's not me you should be worried about."

They stood together at the window, as they had before. It seemed so normal, but now… it was different.

"I thought about you all day." Melody admitted, looking down at her untouched energon. Hot Rod glanced at her, then back out at the skyline.

"I hope this won't affect anything between us." He said. "... Even now that everything's so complicated, I hope we can still be friends."

Melody looked at him. His optics had returned to their original amber flame color, making a golden reflection on the glass. Without thinking, she said;

"What if we could be more than friends?"

Hot Rod looked back at her, his nervous side kicking in as he blushed furiously. She smiled a little, amused. Though the change was invisible, she could still tell he was surprised at her comment.

"You're nothing like Optimus, Hot Rod." She said plainly. "... But at the same time, you're exactly like him. I couldn't imagine anyone better to take his place. That is, if you're up to the task."

She said it so casually, but inside, she was a mess of emotion. What if he declined? If anything would make things more awkward, it would be refusal. And what she said had been true. He was the only one. Not just because he had Optimus' spark, but because he _tried._ He was strong, despite his shyness, not to mention adorably quirky. A trait she hadn't seen much of in her former husband.

Yes, he was the only one.

"Y-you mean… I-we should…"

"Hot Rod." She said his name and he was silent. Her tone was soft, and careful. The voice of a heart still healing.

She brushed his hand, holding on by her fingertips. He trembled slightly, hesitant. Their fingers laced together.

Melody looked back up at him, listing her head. He held her gaze.

"Do you love me, Hot Rod?"

Oddly, his spark had no reaction. Optimus was silent. This was a question for Hot Rod alone.

"Yes." He breathed. The space between them closed as she met him in a tender kiss. Now, his spark and body became a single force, sharing a common drive. He pulled her closer, forming a shield around her with his embrace. He already knew that was what she liked. A protector. A friend.

The kiss ended all too soon, though it could have lasted an eternity and still been too short. He swayed a bit, then regained his balance, gazing at her in wonder.

"I've only ever kissed one mech like that before." She told him. "... And now he can rest peacefully knowing I've found another."


	7. Little Talks

**Evening Ramblings**

 _Tap tap tap tap tap tap_

Orion didn't have to look up to know Harmony was coming. Her little legs were carrying her faster every day as she went from walking to running,

"'Rion!" She called, plopping down next to him. "'Rion, what's _inseperable_?"

Orion thought for a moment. "I think it means when you can't seperate two things."

"I heard our moms say me and you are inseperable."

"That's nice."

Harmony stared at him for a minute.

"What's wrong?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"What're you thinking about?"

"My dad."

"You're dad's inside. I saw him talking to tia Vi."

Orion shook his head. "Not him. Rodimus is my step-dad."

It had been an interesting development. Not long after discovering his connection to Optimus, Hot Rod had decided to change his name in honor of the Prime. It hadn't taken long to convince Melody to remarry.

Harmony stared at her cousin, confused. Still too young to understand, she had never been told about Optimus Prime. Sure, she had heard the stories of his heroism during the war. Every sparkling did. He was a legend, but no one had explained that he was also family.

"You know the statue they made of that mech outside the Archive?"

Harmony nodded. "Yeah! Optimus Prime!"

" _He's_ my real dad."

"Nuh-uh!" She protested. "He's dead! He fought the bad guys."

Orion didn't reply.

"'Rion? Why do you look sad?"

Again, he was silent. Harmony cocked her head, bending to look at him.

"My mom says frowning takes more muscles than smiling." She said.

"What are muscles?"

"I dunno."

"Why are you so happy all the time, Harmony?"

She shrugged. "I like being happy. Do you like being sad?"

Orion just stared at her.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you're sad right now. Does that mean you like being sad?"

"No."

"You're weird, 'Rion."

Orion finally smiled, laughing a little. "You're one to talk." He said, looking over at her. Now that she was approaching her third birthday, her colors were starting to set in. Indigo purple, similar to her father, with white accents. Her huge teal optics never lost their sparkle, always full of wonder and joy.

"Kids, come inside," Called audrey from the cargo door. "We're getting close to the bridge."

"Okay!" Harmony jumped up and ran back to her mother. Orion followed, smiling at his aunt as he stepped inside. Soon, he would see Earth for the first time since he was an infant. Somehow, those little talks with Harmony always seemed to cheer him up.

 **A/N: So, it wasn't a long chapter… more of a filler, I guess. But I thought it would be cute to do a one-shot of these two before they grew up! Anyway, on to the next chapter! Stay wonderful, and God bless!**

 **-Wonder**


	8. Dragonformers Beat

**Dragonformers Beat**

Me: Okay, guys, listen up. I've got a new chapter ready, but first I've got to prepare you all for it.

OCs: *Looking at each other, confused, and a little scared*

Soundwave: What do you mean? Why would you have to…

Me: I'm turning you all into dragons.

Twins: You're gonna do what

Mason: YASSSSS DRAGONS THANK YOU

Audrey: Dude calm down

Soundwave: Do I even want to know

Harmony: What's a dragon?

Me: Ready? Here we go~!

Rodimus: WAIT I JUST GOT HERE WHAT'S GOING ON-

Me: *Starts typing*

xxx

Audrey shook her head, trying to stop the world from spinning.

"Huuuh… that was weird…." She blinked, looking around. She was laying in grass, surrounded by trees. Songbirds chirped, and sunlight filtered through the canopy, giving the clearing a surreal green glow. Wonder stood nearby, grinning.

"Welcome to Narnia! Ha, just kidding. This is the Dragonformers AU."

"Ugh… I feel sick…" Mason groaned.

Wonder came over and helped Audrey to her feet. It felt odd walking on all fours, but she didn't have much trouble balancing.

"I better get going before the others wake up," Said Wonder, glancing at the other bodies lying nearby. "... They should be fine. Once you're all ready to go, head North. I've isolated you from the other groups around here, so you shouldn't have any trouble with Crossovers. Anyway, a few of the Autobots will be waiting for you. They'll help you find your way around."

"Okay, thanks." Audrey replied, taking in her surroundings. Wonder smiled.

"Have fun!" She said before disappearing.

xxx

Audrey shook like a dog, feeling a bit silly. Her tail swished over the grass as she looked for the others. Everyone was present, including the children. Mason struggled to his feet, snorting.

"You'd think being a dragon would feel… you know, _cool_." He muttered. Audrey shook her head.

"Just come and help me wake the others, you big baby."

Padding towards the closest figure, Audrey bent her neck and nudged Soundwave's wing with her muzzle. He groaned, shifting a little.

"You okay, Waves?" Audrey whispered, nuzzling his jaw. She had to admit, he made quite a handsome dragon. Maintaining the same color scheme over a layer of sleek scales and tough grey skin. He opened his eyes.

"... Where are we?" He asked, pushing himself upright.

"Some forest," Audrey answered, helping him up. "We're supposed to go North and find the Autobots."

He nodded, looking around at the others.

"Are they alright?"

"Just sleeping. Come on, help me wake them up."

A fluttering movement caught their attention. Audrey blinked at the creature, it was much smaller than a dragon…

"A wyvern?" She said, tilting her head curiously. Soundwave bent to examine it.

"Laserbeak." He concluded. The drone fluttered again, lifting his tiny head to greet his master. Soundwave nodded, as if accepting this, and turned back to Audrey.

"Let's wake the others."

xxx

Soon, the rest of the group was up and (almost) ready to go. Vibes took to her new form quickly, while Mason struggled to keep up with her. Harmony chased after Orion on short, clumsy dracling legs. Melody stayed by Rodimus, who was still recovering. Audrey checked again to make sure everyone was present.

"It looks like they're all doing fine," She said aloud. Soundwave didn't reply.

"Any sign of Laserbeak?"

"Not yet."

It had been about half an hour since the drone was sent looking for the others. Before long, they would have to find food. Their only hope was to get to the Autobot camp before sundown.

Finally, Soundwave turned away from the sky to watch Harmony wrestle with her cousin.

"Audrey," He said thoughtfully, she looked over to him.

"What?"

"I want another child."

Audrey blushed furiously, stammering "S-Soundwave!"

He looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

Before she could come up with an answer, Mason burst out laughing.

"Ah- _ha ha ha_ ~!" He howled, Vibes couldn't help but grin a little.

"Mason I'm gonna kill you!" Audrey growled, standing up. Before she could launch, Laserbeak dropped out of the sky and landed at Soundwave's feet.

Everyone stopped to hear the wyvern's report. Soundwave bent to welcome his drone, whistling softly. Laserbeak whistled back, then gave a series of chirps and clicks.

Soundwave straightened up.

"The Autobot camp isn't far, but it will be hard to get there on foot. We'll have to start walking now."

The others agreed. Soon, the sun would set, and there was no telling what kind of wild animals were about at night. Especially in a forest like this.

Melody picked Orion up by his scruff, and Audrey followed her lead. Soundwave led the way, keeping an eye on Laserbeak, who flew overhead. Mason brought up the rear and kept an eye out for danger.

"Hey, Soundwave?" Rodimus asked, coming up on his side. "You have wings, why don't you just fly and meet us there?"

Soundwave glanced back at the others. Three females, two carrying squirming draclings in their teeth. He shook his head.

"No. We need to stay together. Besides, if I left, it would make it harder for you and Mason to fend off enemies."

Rodimus thought about this, then nodded, understanding.

"That makes sense."

"Mooomm, your teeth hurt! Put me down!" Orion whined. Rodimus sighed,

"Duty calls… Orion, don't talk to your mother that way!"

xxx

Soon, the group reached the final stretch of undergrowth that surrounded the glen where the Autobot camp was hidden. Soundwave and Rodimus lifted brambles out of the way for the others to pass, slipping through behind them.

"Wow," Vibes breathed, looking around. The clearing was much bigger on the inside. On the far end, a cliff rose up the side of a hill, dotted with small caves. A familiar-looking yellow dragon poked his head out of one, perking up when he recognized the visitors.

"Hey, everyone, they're here!" Bumblebee called. One by one, more dragons appeared. Including Arcee, Ratchet and Smokescreen.

"Where's everyone else?" Rodimus asked, searching the camp for the rest of the Autobot crew.

"Back on Cybertron," Ratchet explained. "Someone had to keep an eye on things."

"I'm hungry!" Orion complained, still trying to wriggle out of his mother's grasp. Melody looked to Rodimus for a signal to put him down. He nodded. As soon as the dracling's feet touched the ground, he started searching for food.

"We figured you would be tired after the shift," arcee said, "So we went hunting earlier. Come and help yourselves."

They followed her to where a pile of raw meat had been stashed, a buffet of various game. Orion pounced on a rabbit, following his new dragon instinct.

"Dig in!" Smokescreen said through a mouthful of duck feathers.

"Smokescreen! Please!" Ratchet growled, picking carefully at his own bird.

Audrey sniffed the pile. The meat was fresh, but she wasn't used to eating it _this_ fresh.

"Aren't you going to eat, Audrey?" Asked Vibes, still trying to choose her main course.

"Well…"

"Oh! I almost forgot." Bumblebee stood and picked off a choice cut. "We cybertronians don't mind having it raw, but since you were a human you'll probably want it roasted. Like this,"

Pointing his muzzle at the portion, he shot a jet of blue flame, cooking the meat in mere seconds.

At this, Audrey perked up. Tasting the new fare, she found it to have a strangely delightful earthen flavor. Mason tried to roast his share, but looked quite silly not knowing how to produce a flame. Audrey couldn't help but snicker, remembering his outburst earlier.

"Oh, shut up." He grumbled as Bumblebee came to his aid.

xxx

Once they had had their fill, the group split off into their separate dens. Despite the camp's outwardly small appearance, there was room for about a dozen sanctuaries. Not all of them were in the cliff. Some, including Ratchet's medicine den, were hidden in the undergrowth that surrounded the clearing.

Arcee escorted the families to larger dens. Orion and Harmony were excited to be neighbors. Meanwhile, Vibes and Mason took nests in the cover of low-lying trees on the edge of the clearing.

"This is nice," Audrey commented, looking around the den's walls. "Thanks, Arcee. Have a good night."

"You too." She replied, then turned and padded back down the path.

"Mommy, do I hafta go to sleep?" Harmony whined.

"Yes, dear." Audrey told her, "It's been a long afternoon."

"But I'm not sleepy! I wanna play with 'Rion!"

"Orion has to go to sleep, too. Now go on."

Moaning in defeat, the dragon child sulked over to where her father had warmed a spot on the floor for her. She was asleep in minutes.

Audrey sighed, looking out over the forest as she sat in the mouth of the cave. Soundwave sat next to her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No… I'm just tired. Being a dragon isn't as easy as I thought. Well, I didn't think it would be _easy,_ but…"

"It's going to take some getting used to."

"Yeah."

Soundwave lowered himself to lay next to her, his bright violet eyes glowing in the moonlight. She did the same, tucking her front legs beneath her body and leaning against him.

"Goodnight, Audrey." He said softly, covering her with his wing. She closed her eyes, resting her neck on his. A low purr of contentment coming from the back of her throat.

 _Goodnight._

xxx

Morning came all too soon. Harmony woke her parents for the new day by crawling all over them with her tiny dragon paws.

"Mommy! Daddy! Wake _up!_ " She squeaked, pushing against her father's side. He growled tiredly, lifting his head.

"Harmony…"

"It's alright, Soundwave," Audrey sighed. "She's just excited."

Harmony bounced impatiently as Soundwave stood and stretched. Audrey did the same, following them down the slope.

"You two are just in time!" Smokescreen said, greeting them as they joined the rest of the group in the clearing. "We're arranging the morning hunt. Either of you want to come?"

Soundwave seemed to perk up at this. He looked to Audrey.

"You go," She said, yawning. "I'm still pretty tired."

"All right!" Mason exclaimed, bounding forward. "Guy's day out!"

Soundwave chuckled, joining the hunting party. Audrey smiled a little, glad to see her mate enjoying himself. Perhaps this would be a nice change of pace for a while.

"Bye, daddy!" Harmony called as the mechs walked out of the camp. Orion stared after Rodimus, who had also joined the group.

"When will they be back?" He asked his mother. Melody smiled, nuzzling him gently.

"They won't be gone long." She told him. "In the meantime, you have the whole morning to play with your cousin."

Orion cheered up a little at this, looking to Harmony. She grinned, getting ready to pounce.

" _Rawr!_ " She growled, jumping on him. He rolled over and batted her away, laughing. Relieved to have their children occupied, Audrey and Melody stepped back to let them play.

"Hey, you two!" Called Vibes from the shade. She motioned for them to join her.

The femmes sat together and talked while the draclings tussled in the grass. Ratchet went about his business in the camp. With the other mechs out hunting, he would need to prepare for their return.

xxx

Mason was ecstatic, bounding ahead of the group in anticipation.

"Come on, can't you guys move any faster?" He called, "We'll never get there at this rate!"

Bee shook his head. "Be patient, Mason. The hunting grounds are a little ways off."

They stopped by a stream to drink. Soundwave bent to lap up some of the crystal water. His tail twitched. He started to look up, but before he could see what was coming Mason slammed into him.

"Ambush!" He roared, pinning him against the grass. Soundwave stared up in surprise at his brother-in-law.

"... What are you doing?" He asked, getting back to his feet. Mason pressed his belly to the ground, tail swishing.

"Come on, Sounders, we've got the whole day! Let's have some fun! Show me what you've got."

Soundwave's tail flicked, and he felt his dragon instinct nagging.

"Maybe later," He said. "We have to get to the hunting site, remember?"

Looking disappointed, Mason turned away. Soundwave stared after him, lowering himself into a crouch.

Mason screamed as Soundwave slammed into him.

"Hey! No fair!"

Soundwave laughed. " _Ambush._ "

Mason growled, batting him off with his hind legs. Soundwave rolled to the side, nipping at his ear.

As the two mechs wrestled Rodimus watched from a distance. Smokescreen looked up from drinking.

"Hey, that looks like fun," He commented. "You gonna join in, Rod?"  
Rodimus shook his head. Smokescreen shrugged.

"Your choice." Running along the bank of the stream, he jumped into the tussle.

Soundwave roared, shooting a jet of flame at the newcomer. Smokescreen cackled, clamping down on his tail.

Bumblebee came and sat next to Rodimus.

"Does this happen often?" Rodimus asked, tilting his head.

"Well, considering we're a bunch of male dragons, yes. Ratchet's probably dreading our return after sending out a hunting party this large."

xxx

Arcee watched the children play in the clearing, the other femmes chattering in the shade. The warrior femme had skipped out on the morning hunt because she knew that with all the mechs, a tussle was bound to break out. After all, the camp was much quieter now.

"Hey, Arcee," Melody called from where she sat. "Want to join is?"

"Sure," She stood. It had been a while since she had gotten to reconnect with her old friend. A sudden flapping startled her. They all looked up to see a tiny, dragon-like figure shoot out of Audrey's den.

"Laserbeak?" Vibes stood and caught the frantic wyvern's tail, dragging him out of the air. "What's he doing here?"

"Soundwave left him to watch Harmony last night, I guess he decided not to take him on the hunt."

Laserbeak gave a distressed cry, looking dejected.

"I'm sure he's never going to hear the end of it once he gets back." Arcee chuckled, joining them. Laserbeak obviously wasn't happy that his master had left without him.

"Just like a child," Audrey sighed, taking the wyvern in her teeth. "It's strange, now that he's an organic. Back home he was always just a drone."

Laserbeak growled. The femmes chuckled.

"Alright, then," Audrey said. "Go find him. And tell him he'd better be back soon, we're getting hungry!"

She released the drone, and instantly, he was gone.

"You think he'll come back?" Arcee asked.

"Probably not." Vibes giggled. "He'll be too busy chewing out Soundwave."

xxx

The tussle had ended with a few scrapes and burns. Despite their injuries, the mechs broke away laughing.

From that point, they made good time to the hunting grounds, which were just as plentiful as Bumblebee had promised. Soundwave chased birds on the wing, while the others split up to catch small game. In a stroke of luck, Rodimus spotted a wild bull elk. A dangerous animal, but no match for five full-grown dragons. Mason, knowing his sister would be sensitive about the killing, saw to it that the creature was finished quickly.

Panting, he released the elk's throat, the taste of blood lingering in his mouth. The others moved away from the limp body that lay before them.

"This should be enough to last a few days, maybe _weeks_." Smokescreen breathed, a stupid grin plastered on his muzzle. Soundwave nodded, exhausted.

"It really put up a fight," Bumblebee commented. "How do you think we'll get it back to the camp?"

A fluttering in the overhead foliage caught their attention. Laserbeak dropped from the air and landed on Soundwave's back, screeching angrily.

"You're angry I left you behind?" Soundwave asked.

"Whoa, talk about separation issues." Mason chuckled. Soundwave rolled his eyes.

"The femmes are waiting for us back at the camp. We should start heading back."

"Agreed," Bumblebee nodded. "Soundwave, you fly ahead with the rabbits and birds from earlier. That should hold them off until we can get back with this." He motioned to the elk.

"If you insist." Soundwave replied. "I'll come back to help you once I've dropped them off."

xxx

Arcee tilted her head, listening.

"Someone's coming," She said. The others went quiet, looking around.

"Where?" Vibes asked. Arcee looked up, scanning the sky.

"Soundwave?"

As she said his name, Soundwave appeared from above the trees, coming down into the camp. Beating his giant, leathery wings, he landed on the grass. Harmony trotted over to greet him.

"Where are the others?" Melody asked.

"Just leaving the hunting grounds," Soundwave replied, tipping a load of small game off his back. "I'm going back to help them with the rest of the catch."

"Some haul," Vibes murmured, sniffing a rabbit. "There's _more?_ "

"You'll see when we get it here." He smiled. Turning to Audrey, he gave her a nuzzle.

"I'll be back soon."

"Okay." She sighed, a little disappointed. It was only fair, though. A little time apart was healthy, right?

"Daddy, can I come?" Harmony begged. Soundwave chuckled, touching his nose to hers.

"Not this time, love. Why don't you have your own hunt here in the camp? I'm sure Orion would help you."

Harmony thought for a moment, then smiled. "Okay!"

As she ran back to her cousin, Soundwave leapt back into the sky, flying back the direction he had came.

xxx

The sun was at its highest point when the hunting party finally returned.

"They're here, they're here!" Orion called excitedly from the edge of the clearing. Ratchet stepped out of his den, and everyone watched in surprise as the five mechs dragged the carcass of a huge elk into the camp.

Curious, the femmes came over to see. Harmony squeaked excitedly, crawling onto one of the antlers.

"Wow…" Audrey didn't know what else to say.

"Are any of you hurt?" Ratchet asked.

"Just a few scrapes and bruises," Bumblebee replied. "You might want to take a look at Mason's foot, though."

" _Bee,_ " Mason hissed, "I told you, I'm fine!"

Ratchet shook his head. "Come on, then."

While Mason limped after the medic, the others started to eat. Arcee tore off a leg for Audrey and Soundwave to share. Audrey did her best to accept it as politely as possible without retching.

"Daddy, look what I caught!" Harmony said proudly, "Now I don't have to eat dinner, cuz I got my own!"

Soundwave looked at what she had. Three beetles, a grasshopper and a butterfly.

"I think you're still going to have to eat dinner, Harmony." He told her, chuckling.

"Awww, but I don't wanna eat the moose!" She whined.

"Harmony, your father and the others worked hard to get this for us. You're going to eat it" Audrey said, knowing she would have to take her own advice.

"What if I roast it for you?" Soundwave suggested. Harmony seemed a little less fussy about this.

Meanwhile, Melody and Rodimus faced the same problem with Orion.

"Look, Harmony's eating it," Rodimus pointed out, motioning to her. Orion sulked, poking at the furry chunk in front of him.

"I don't want it." He grumbled.

"Hey, kiddo," Said a voice from behind. "I'm not done with your story yet. I'm not about to let you die of hunger."

Orion looked up to see a familiar looking she-dragon. Vibes was the first to recognize her.

"... Wonder?"

"The one and only," She smiled, "Like the new look?"

She had wings, like Soundwave, but feathery.

"I didn't have time to come up with a color scheme, so it looks kind of plain. But I thought I would surprise you."

"What are you doing here?" Audrey asked. "Is it time to go back already?"

"I'm afraid so… Audrey, were you _enjoying_ yourself?"

Audrey grinned, rolling her eyes.

"I don't wanna go back!" Harmony complained, though a mouthful of elk. Suddenly, she loved it.

"We don't have to go just yet," Wonder told her. "I figured you would at least want to finish the meal you worked so hard to get."

 **A/N: Yes, Harmony called it a moose, because she's only like 4 years old and lives on an alien planet she's not going to know the difference between an elk and a moose.**

xxx

After eating together, the group relaxed under the orange afternoon light. Wonder stretched out on a rock, purring contentedly.

"So… when _do_ we have to go back?" Vibes asked, laying on the grass next to her. Wonder sighed, looking at her OC upside-down.

"Soon, sadly. Just a few minutes more shouldn't hurt, though."

Audrey sat nearby, washing Harmony's muzzle with her tongue. Melody lay next to her, doing the same with Orion. The rest of the group was either curled up in the shade or dozing in the sun.

A few minutes passed all too soon. The sun set, and the evening breeze stole away the afternoon warmth. The dragons gathered in the center of the camp, waiting for Wonder to speak.

"It's time, I suppose." She sighed, looking up at the rising moon. "Are you all ready?"

"I think so," Audrey answered, looking around at the rest of them.

Wonder nodded, closing her eyes.

xxx

It felt a little strange to be back in her cyberform. Audrey sat up on the berth. She was back on cybertron. The whole dragon thing had felt like a dream, and yet…

"Welcome back!"

There stood Wonder, in her original human form, looking quirky as ever.

"I figured you wouldn't want to be standing when you came back." She explained, grinning. "I put everyone back in their homes, but I just wanted to stick around to warn you about what's going to happen next."

"What do you mean?" Audrey asked, somewhat suspicious.

Wonder thought for a moment. "... Then again, maybe I shouldn't tell you. It'll be more of a surprise that way."

"Wonder!"

The writer snickered again. "Goodbye, Audrey. And good luck!"

With that, she disappeared back into the real world.

xxx

Audrey sighed, stepping out of the hall to find Soundwave standing in the main room. She stopped, wondering why he wasn't at the Archive, then noticed the night sky outside.

"Audrey," He smiled when he saw her.

"Hey," She smiled back tiredly. "How're you doing?"

He shrugged, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to spend much time together." He said quietly.

"It's alright," She replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Is Harmony asleep?"

"Wonder took care of that."

 _Wonder._ she still needed to figure out what the writer had meant. Before she could ask, Soundwave spoke again;

"Do you remember what I said in the beginning? About wanting another child?" He asked in an unreadable tone.

"Yes, very funny, Soundwave." Audrey sighed, remembering how Mason had nearly choked to death laughing.

Soundwave looked down at her, confused.

"You thought I was kidding?"


	9. Harmony's Adventure

**A/N: So I'm going to cut right to the chase on this one. Harmony, being your typical four-or five-year-old, has gotten separated from her parents at the mall. (Or whatever they have on Cybertron for shopping.) And, being a child after my own heart, ends up having an adventure that lasts the whole afternoon. XP**

 **xxx**

 **Harmony's Adventure**

She didn't panic at first. She just lost track of time, that was all.

Harmony looked through the crowd as she walked slowly back the way she had come. Perhaps her parents had gone back that way to look for her.

When she arrived back at the market entrance, she still hadn't seen any sign of them.

 _Maybe they went home without me?_ She wondered, glancing over at the nearby transport station. It was the same one they had come out of a few hours earlier. Would the same one take her home?

So, being the calm, (semi) logical child she was, she decided to try it.

xxx

"What do you mean she's _gone?!_ " Audrey cried, Soundwave was just as confused as her.

"She was right beside me!" He motioned to the empty space.

"Weren't you watching her?!"

"Yes! Until we started talking a few minutes ago…"

Audrey gave a distressed wail, looking back the way they had been walking. Harmony wasn't anywhere to be seen through the shifting mass of people.

"She could be anywhere…" She murmured, panic straining her voice.

"We'll find her." Soundwave promised. "She couldn't have gone far."

xxx

Harmony looked around the station, hesitating. Were all the transports going to the same place? She didn't know how to read much, especially when she was learning Cybertronian and English at the same time finally, she recognized a familiar word.

"Tagon Heights," She said aloud. "... I think that's where 'Rion lives. Auntie and Uncle could help me find them."

She looked around again, still unsure. What if her parents hadn't left the market? It felt like it had been quite some time…

"Are you lost?" Asked a voice from behind. Harmony turned to see a bright pink femme looking down at her. Harmony blinked at the stranger, not responding.

"Where are your parents?" The nice femme asked, looking around. Harmony looked around, too. She had been warned not to talk to strangers.

"Um… they're over there." She lied, pointing to a couple looking at the schedule.

"Oh," The nice femme looked relieved. "Well, you should probably stay near them. You could have gotten separated!"

Harmony nodded, hoping she would go away. When nothing happened, she walked towards the couple.

"Bye bye, now. Stay safe!" The femme said sweetly, hurrying off in the opposite direction. Harmony sighed, turning and running back to the transport. She stepped in behind a family with several sparklings her age. No one noticed her, even as she walked to the back of the shuttle.

"Now departing: Transport 039 for Tagon Heights." A voice from the speakers informed the crowd. A _ding_ sounded from inside the shuttle, and the doors slid closed. Harmony took a deep breath, hoping she had done the right thing.

xxx

"All units be on the lookout for a sparkling femme," The security officer said into his comm link. "Her name is.."

"Harmony," Audrey told him.

"-Harmony. If anyone finds her, bring her to the main office."

He listened for a moment, then looked back to the distressed couple. "They'll keep an eye out. But I'm afraid that's the best I can do for now. If you would like to wait in the office, you may."

"I'll keep looking." Soundwave said. "Audrey, you should go there and try to calm down."

"Calm down!" Audrey cried. "Calm down! I just _lost_ my _child!_ How does that even happen?!"

"Trust me, Ma'am it happens all the time," The officer assured her. "It's no flaw in parenting to lose track of a sparkling, especially in a place like this."

Audrey didn't seem to hear him. Anxiety coursed through her veins as she continued looking around from where she stood.

"You wouldn't mind if she watched the surveillance feeds, would you?" Soundwave asked quietly. "It may be the only way to keep _her_ from getting lost."

The officer nodded. "No problem. We do it all the time for things like this. A frantic mother usually does a better job watching those things than whoever's on duty."

xxx

Harmony stared out the window as the marketplace shrank behind them.

 _I'll just find Auntie Melody and Uncle Rodimus._ She thought to herself, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling. _They'll know what to do._

After telling herself that a few hundred times, Harmony got bored and started getting tired. The soft hum of the transport and quiet chatter in the cabin lulling her to sleep.

When she woke up, the transport had stopped. People were filing out of the doors, and she quickly got up to follow them.

This station was much less crowded than the other. It was the middle of the afternoon, now.

Not quite sure where to go from here, Harmony followed a group of grown-ups, wanting to avoid another concerned stranger. She knew where she was going… right?

As she looked around, she wasn't so sure. Tagon Heights wasn't like her home. There were big buildings and factories everywhere, and the sky was kind of grey.

Eventually, she stopped following the grown-ups and walked down a street lined with apartment complexes. She was fairly sure Orion lived in an apartment… but it might have been a house. She had only been there a few times.

"Umm…" She murmured, looking around. The farther she walked, the more unsure she felt. Did Orion live somewhere else? Had she read the sign wrong? No… she read it right.

After a few hours, it started to get dark. Harmony didn't dare ask for help, too scared to talk to another stranger. Did little girls get put in jail for leaving their parents? She was only trying to find someone she knew.

Before long, she was hopelessly lost. On the far edge of the city, all she could see was bare land for miles. A few pale lights glowed a little ways out. Houses.

Now that she was fairly certain her kin didn't live in an apartment, Harmony was desperate enough to go and investigate.

xxx

Audrey was desperate. It was getting dark, and she had forced Soundwave to take her to the police and actually talked them into sending patrols through the city.

"First time?" Asked one of the officers. Soundwave nodded, feeling cold.

"Ohh, we have to find her…" Audrey mumbled, pacing around the lobby. She had already spoken to Ultra Magnus twice and had been refused a third time. The mech cared, but everyone had their limits.

"Audrey, maybe you should go home while we wait for them to find her." Soundwave suggested, bringing her to a stop. She shook her head quickly.

"No. I have to be here when they bring her back. Maybe I'll call Vibes and tell her to be on the lookout, too…"

"Vibes is on Earth with Mason, remember?" Soundwave coaxed. "We're going to find her."

"Well, I'm not leaving this station until I have her back." She said stubbornly. She was trembling, now, tears welling in her eyes.

Soundwave sighed, sitting her down beside him.

"I need my baby back, Soundwave…" She whimpered, leaning against him. "I lost her… I'm a terrible mother…"

"Shh, everything's going to be alright," Soundwave told her, trying to reassure himself at the same time. How had Harmony not been in the entire marketplace? Perhaps she had tried to go home on one of the transports. But if that was true… she could be _anywhere._

xxx

Now the panic was setting in. Heavy. As she approached the lights, Harmony realized they weren't houses. At least not the kind she remembered Orion living in. There were several low, uniform buildings. Probably old storage units. All of it looked old, and a little spooky.

It was dark now, and Harmony felt the full weight of her mistake fall on her. She stopped walking, tears welling in her optics.

"Mommy… daddy…" She sniffed, "Where are you?"

Finally, she started to cry.

Harmony's cry was the worst possible sound you could hear a sparkling make. Painfully heartbreaking and _messy._ Coolant tears mixed with saliva dripped over her face and smeared on her hands. She hiccuped, then wailed louder.

A door opened in the building in front of her. She barely noticed through the thick pool of tears. A huge figure appeared in the doorway, staring at her with narrow red optics. Harmony continued to cry.

The mech stepped out towards her, and she shrank away.

"Who are you?" She asked, trying to sound tough even though tears still spilled from her eyes.

"Who are _you?_ " Asked the mech gruffly, staring down at her. "Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for… my mom and daddy…" She said slowly, pausing to swallow and take a breath.

"Well, they're not here." He told her. She started crying again.

The mech shifted uncomfortably. He had seen a great deal of things, terrible things. He had seen the bodies of sparklings litter the ground, but this was somehow worse.

" _I can't fi-ind the-em!_ " Harmony wailed, her cries growing louder by the second.

The mech grimaced, looking around. Of course her parent weren't here. No one ever came near this place. That was the way he liked it.

"Stop crying," He said. She didn't stop.

"I said _stop crying._ "

She wailed louder.

"I'll find your parents if you would _just stop crying!_ " He didn't mean to shout, but it worked. Harmony choked on her last sob and looked up at him in surprise.

"Y-you will?"

"Only if you promise not to start doing that again." He muttered.

"I won't," She promised, quickly rubbing the tears off her face.

He sighed, not quite sure what to do with her now. He glanced back at the open door.

"Come inside." He said finally. "I'll send out a message for whoever's looking for you."

Without another word, Harmony followed the giant.

Inside the building was a roughly furnished living space. Mostly salvaged pieces of scrap from the nearby wasteland, but some of it appeared to be part of the original architecture. A counter, a few storage compartments, a medical berth…

"What are your parents' names?" The mech asked. He was standing in front of a computer screen. Harmony walked carefully over to see what he was doing.

"My mom's name is Audrey." She said. "My daddy… my daddy is…"

She thought for a minute, trying to remember. Being still young, she rarely thought of her parents having names other than 'mommy' and 'daddy'.

"Well?"

Finally, it came to her.

"My daddy's name is Soundwave."

The mech stiffened, digits freezing over the keys.

"... _Soundwave?_ " He said in an unreadable tone. Harmony wasn't sure whether to be happy he recognized the name.

"Do… you know him?" She asked hopefully. He turned and stared at her, studying her.

"What did you say your name was?"

Harmony looked at him, confused. He hadn't asked her name, had he?

"I'm Harmony." She replied. "... Who are you?"

"That doesn't matter. Are you sure your father's name is Soundwave?"

"Yes."

The mech stared at her for a long time.

"I'm not s'posed to be with strangers." She murmured, as if reminding herself she had broken the rule.

"Look, I'm going to send this message," The mech said, turning back to the screen. "But you're going to have to tell me more about your father."

"Why?"

"Because."

"But-"

He tapped in the final command, turning back to her.

"I need to know if your father is really Soundwave. You asked if I knew him, didn't you?"

"Are there other people named Soundwave?" Harmony asked, wondering if that's what he was thinking. The mech looked at her for a long time. She fidgeted, trying another question.

"Who are you, anyway?"

The mech blinked, waiting a moment before answering.

"My name is Galvatron."

"You know my daddy?"

"I knew him once. I… We have not seen each other in a long time."

"Oh! Then it's okay." Harmony relaxed a little. Her father didn't interact with many strangers, so this one must be a friend. Galvatron sat down, motioning for her to join him. She scooted over and settled on top of a storage box.

"Tell me more about your parents."

xxx

Galvatron listened quietly as the child babbled on about her family. She didn't say much about Soundwave, but from what she did say Galvatron knew it had to be him.

 _After all these years… all that had been done to him,_ Thought the warlord, _He still managed to find happiness._

Harmony looked more like her mother, but she had inherited a few key traits from Soundwave. Her color, for one thing.

It didn't take long to put all the pieces together. Being only a sparkling, Harmony didn't know the full story of how her parents had met, but from what she told him it was easy to envision how it happened. Her mother, Audrey, was one of the hybrid humans Knockout had been so interested in. When she disappeared, everyone assumed she had gone overboard in an attempt to escape. However, according to Harmony, she was alive and well.

It was interesting to have an unbiased conversation for once. Harmony didn't know who he was, and he preferred it remained that way. Frightening her would only make things worse.

Soundwave would be coming soon to retrieve his daughter. What then? Galvatron knew all too well the anger that the mech must be holding against him. It was understandable.

"Your parents will be here soon," Galvatron said, glancing out the window. "You should wait outside for them to find you."

The sparkle in Harmony's optics suddenly drained.

"... Out there?" She whimpered, "Alone? In the dark?"

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"It's scary!"

Galvatron stared at her. Fear was a rare phenomena to him. There was nothing dangerous about nighttime.

"You'll be fine." He told her, looking away. "Go, now. They should be here any minute."

"But… won't you come with me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like people to see me."

"But-"

"Just _go!_ "

Harmony scrambled to her feet, hesitating before moving slowly towards the door. Galvatron ushered her out.

"And don't start crying again," He muttered. "I can't stand it."

"Will you stay by the window?" Harmony asked timidly, still afraid.

Galvatron sighed, then nodded.

"Fine."

xxx

Audrey shot out of the transport while it was still inches above the ground. Soundwave followed close behind.

A message had been received at the Tagon Heights station, which was relayed to where Ultra Magnus was able to send a patrol to retrieve her.

Harmony was sitting against the wall of a low building. Soundwave thought he saw a shadow inside, but it quickly disappeared.

Audrey crashed into her daughter, gathering the sparkling into her arms. Soundwave knelt beside them, succumbing to a wave of relief.

"My baby," Audrey sobbed. "I was so scared!"

"I got lost, mommy," Harmony explained. "And then I tried to find auntie and uncle to help, 'an then I couldn't find them…"

"We're here now," Soundwave murmured, pulling them both into his embrace. "It's late. We should all go home now."

Harmony nodded. "But daddy, don't you want to see your friend?"

"Friend?"

"Yeah. He's in… there…"

She looked up, but the building had gone dark. Galvatron had disappeared. Soundwave looked around, a feeling of foreboding overlaying the joy of the moment.

"We should go, Audrey." He whispered. "I have a bad feeling about this place."

xxx

Galvatron watched them go from inside. Hidden in the dark, he watched Soundwave carry his daughter to the transport. She looked back, confused. Wondering why he had hidden. He sighed.

It was better this way.


	10. First Crush

**First Crush**

Years passed, and Harmony never forgot her adventure. However, today she seemed to be forgetting _everything_.

"Harmony, aren't you supposed to be doing your schoolwork?" Soundwave asked, eyeing her from across the counter. Harmony blinked, remembering the accumulation of worksheets on her data tablet. Now thirteen years old, she had started attending the new school in Centralis. At first, she had been one of only a handful of students. Over the past few months, however, more and more had been arriving. Including one in particular…

"I was just thinking." She murmured, scrolling to the next question.

Soundwave didn't say anything more. Audrey appeared in the hallway with Ezekiel.

"Thinking about what, dear?" She inquired, Zeke bounced over to her.

"I wanna know too!" He demanded, staring up at his sister. Harmony gave him an annoyed look.

"It's nothing." She mumbled, turning back to her data tablet.

Her parents looked at each other. Soundwave shrugged.

"Harmony…" Audrey started carefully, Harmony stood up.

"It's _nothing,_ stop asking!" She snapped, taking her tablet and retreating to her room.

xxx

"... It sounds like you had a pretty good day," Orion concluded. "Why are you so upset?"

Harmony frowned, glancing at the door. "My parents are just being annoying, that's all. They keep bugging me and asking what's wrong."

" _Is_ something wrong?"

"No."

Orion didn't seem convinced. He gave her a skeptical look through the screen.

"I don't believe you."

Harmony sighed. Somehow, talking to Orion was different from talking to her parents.

"Promise you won't tell anyone if I tell you?"

"Maybe." He replied. "It depends on what it's about."

Harmony decided that would have to be good enough. She couldn't keep this to herself.

"You know that new kid that came to school today?"

"Which one? There's been hundreds in the past week."

"I know, but he's _different._ You probably saw him, I think he's in your grade. I think he might be a Predacon…"

Orion thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, I think I met him. Kind of strange for a Predacon to show up. I thought they didn't want anything to do with us."

Harmony nodded. "Anyway, I saw him at lunch and all I did was say he looked kind of cute and Jia started ranting that I had a crush on him!"

Orion laughed a little. "Is that it? That's what you're so upset about?"

Harmony felt her faceplate heat up. "'Rion, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"I know, I'm sorry." He said, though he was still smiling. "Jia can be a little… dramatic, sometimes. But crushes are normal. Have you seen all the femmes that come after me?"

Harmony rolled her eyes. "That's because you're the _firstchild,_ " She told him. "Everyone wants to be your friend. But a _Predacon…_ "

"You make it sound like a bad thing." He noticed, turning serious again. "The Predacons aren't just beasts, Harmony. They're people, too."

"I _know,_ it's just not… normal, I guess. I thought we weren't supposed to like each other."

"Not necessarily."

"Well, now Jia's all worked up about it." She sighed, falling back on her berth. "I'll never hear the end of it!"

Orion looked at her for a minute, then shook his head.

"You really need to learn to stop letting her influence you." He told her. "I'll talk to Jia tomorrow. In the meantime, stop overthinking it, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll talk to you later, then."

"See you tomorrow."

With that, the screen went blank. Harmony sighed again, tossing the tablet aide.

"I _don't_ have a crush on him." She said to herself, as if trying to confirm it.

It didn't work.

xxx

The next day, Harmony couldn't seem to keep her eyes off the newcomer. It didn't take long to find out his name.

 _Zephyr_

As mechs went, he was gorgeous. Though, Harmony didn't dare say it out loud. His armor was jet black and dark grey, with striking turquoise accents.

Once, he caught her staring. She quickly looked away, blushing.

"I don't have a crush on him." She murmured, though it was becoming less convincing every time she said it.

xxx

Orion, being the good example he was, decided to break the trend and sit with the predacon. Zephyr looked up, a bit surprised. Since he had arrived at the school the other day, everyone seemed to be avoiding him.

"Hi," Orion smiled kindly. Behind him, a group of femmes watched in shock. Why was the firstchild, of all people, talking to the Predacon?

"Hello," Zephyr replied, relaxing a little. "Are you Orion?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Zephyr chuckled, nodding to the small crowd behind him. "Your fans."

Orion glanced back at them, hoping they would go away. "Yeah…"

"Orion, what are you doing?" Whispered one of the girls. "We were going to go to the library, remember?"

"You go without me," He said. "I'll catch up with you."

The girls looked at each other, then slowly drifted away, not sure what to do now that their beloved firstchild was preoccupied.

"Sorry," Orion sighed, turning back to Zephyr. ":They follow me everywhere."  
"You're pretty popular, aren't' you?" Zephyr took a sip of the energon in front of him. Orion nodded a little.

"I couldn't say the same for you, though. I'm really sorry how everyone's been treating you."

Zephyr shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm just here to learn. You wouldn't believe some of the things they teach us out in Predacon territory."

"What do you mean?"

"The leaders are really superstitious. I don't believe a word of those stories they make up. I'd rather be learning something important, even if it's not that interesting."

Orion laughed a little. "Well, you came to the right place, then."

Zephyr smiled.

"Hey," Orion lowered his voice, glancing over at his cousin. She had been staring, and quickly turned away. "You see that fem over there?"

Zephyr followed his gaze. "That one? Yeah. She stares at me a lot, does she think I'm weird or something?"

Orion shook his head. "No, it's the opposite. She'll probably kill me if she finds out I'm telling you this, but she likes you."

Zephyr was quiet for a moment, looking at Harmony.

"That's interesting…" he said quietly.

xxx

It was the end of the day. Harmony glanced up at the clock.

 _Ten more minutes._ She thought. Carefully, she looked over at Zephyr again. What were the chances that he'd be placed right next to her? It was frustrating. He was even more handsome up close, and she was still in denial.

The bell finally rang, and Harmony was the first one out. Zephyr followed close behind.

"Hey, Harmony, right?" He said, catching up to her. She slowed to a stop, looking at him.

"... Yeah?"

Zephyr hesitated, not sure how to say what he was thinking.

"Um… I figured out that you have a crush on me," He told her. Harmony fidgeted uncomfortably. Was it that obvious? Zephyr was the last person she had hoped would find out.

"Orion told me," He explained.

"Oh..?" She tapped her fingers against her leg, not sure what else to say. In her head, though, she was imagineing what she would be saying to Orion once she hunted him down.

"I thought I should tell you I'm already… _with_ someone." Zephyr looked just as uncomfortable as her. It wasn't news that anyone wanted to hear, much less tell.

Harmony turned her gaze down. What had she expected?

"I understand." She said quietly, beyond embarrassed. Zephyr was quiet for a few moments, touching the back of his neck, he glanced away.

"So… I guess I'll see you around, then…"

"Yeah… see you."

As he walked away, Harmony stared after him, the feeling disappointment too overpowering to ignore.

 _Maybe I_ did _have a crush on him._

xxx

Audrey could tell something was wrong. Harmony was silent. After finishing her homework, she had gone to her room and hadn't made a sound for the past hour.

"What do you think is wrong?" Soundwave asked, concerned.

"My guess is she got rejected." Audrey sighed. "She had a crush. Did you see how she was so defensive about it? And now that she lost her chance, she's isolated herself."

Soundwave looked at her, surprised. "How do you do that?"

"I'm a girl, I just know these things."

Soundwave nodded, deciding that made sense. If anyone could understand a teenage girl at all, it was another female.

"So, what do we do?" He asked.

"Nothing," She replied, "Just wait for it to blow over. She's a teen, now. This is just the first of her troubles." Audrey chuckled. "Who knows, maybe she'll even turn into a human."

" _Mooom?!_ " Harmony called, her voice twisted with confusion.

Audrey's expression went blank.

"Something tells me that's not a completely inaccurate prediction." Soundwave said.


	11. Alternate Ending

**Alternate Ending**

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 **A/N: So this is how Soul Beats could have ended… honestly, I'm kind of glad I didn't use this ending but I thought I would post it anyway. Review to let me know which one you liked better! (Note: written in Audrey's POV)**

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I woke up in the middle of a dream. Opening my eyes, it took me a moment to come back to reality. It had been so _vivid_ …

I sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around me. It felt like I had crossed over into another world… another _life_ , almost.

Soren stirred next to me. I watched him for a moment. It almost felt like I was still dreaming… surreal. I thought for a moment. We've been married for twelve… no, fourteen years now. Was that right? I didn't feel that old. And, do be honest, neither did Soren.

"Morning," He murmured, as if confirming I was back in real life. I smiled, laying back down next to him.

Soren cracked open one eye, staring at me through a curtain of silky black hair. I brushed it back. He smiled.

"I had a crazy dream," I whispered, still too tired to speak normally.

"Oh? What about?"

"Us," I sighed, the dream still fresh in my mind. "It was like a whole different life. How we met, even when the kids were born. But the funny thing is… we were all robots."

Soren chuckled. "I figured there was a catch. No surprise, though. You've got one heck of an imagination."

I smiled, as if the whole thing wasn't disturbing. I rarely had such vivid dreams, let alone with a plot.

Soren's smile faded. He understood.

"Did it scare you?"

I nodded a little, moving closer to him.

"Sometimes I can't tell the difference between reality and my dreams…"

He sighed, wrapping his arms around me. "Maybe that's a sign. You've been lost in your books for the past few weeks, maybe it's time to take a break. It's the weekend, after all."

I nodded, pressing my cheek against his dull olive skin. We were quiet.

The moment should have lasted forever, but it was rudely cut short by a rapping on the bedroom door. It was Harmony. She yelled something about Zeke wetting the bed, again. The three-year-old was wailing in the background.

Soren groaned.

"Real life is at the door." I murmured into his shoulder. "Are you going to let her in?"

"Five more minutes." He said, pulling up the covers around us. I giggled quietly, hugging him close.

This was real life.

This was real love.


	12. High School Sweetheart

**High School Sweetheart AU**

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 **A/N: So this is a popular AU idea I wanted to use for Triple Beat, but, of course, it wouldn't fit into the original plot. This is a human-style AU based around Bumblebee's third person point of view. Contains FLUFF. Enjoy!**

 **xxx**

It was the beginning of Bumblebee's Freshman year. Always the quiet newcomer, he looked around the cafeteria for someone he recognized. Most of his friends from middle school had gone to other high schools. Bee had spent most of the morning people-watching, trying to find out which group would be easiest to merge with. There were the usual cliques, the popular kids, the mean kids, the smart kids…

Then there were the titans.

The entire school seemed to be divided among two main factions; the Autobots and the Decepticons. Each had its own subdivisions, and were constantly clashing with one another.

Bumblebee could see where the lunch room was split down the middle, Autobots on one side, Decepticons on the other. Most of them ignored each other during this truce, however, some shot dark looks across the commons. The conflict would continue… after food.

A thunder of stomps and whoops startled Bee. He looked to see a group of dark-clad boys walk in. Decepticons.

There were four of them, each wearing a black and purple letterman-style jackets. It was easy enough to guess who they were. As they walked past, Bumblebee recognized each of them. Knockout's fire-red hair made him stand out. Though he was only a Sophomore, he had shot up the ranks surprisingly fast. Beside him, Starscream (a Junior) had just taken his place as a sort of "second-in-command". Then there was Soundwave, the most loyal of the pack. He and Megatron, the Decepticon ringleader, were both Seniors.

Bee stared after them as they went to join the rest of their group. Then, something curious… while the others were distracted with greeting their lackeys, Soundwave changed his direction and drifted towards an empty table.

xxx

Soundwave sat alone most of the time. Lunch hour was the one sliver of the day where he could escape the madness. Being Megatron's most prized follower, he was always busy digging up new dirt on the Autobots. It certainly wasn't a glamorous job for his rank.

Movement startled him out of his thoughts. A boy, probably a Freshman considering he wasn't familiar. He wore a grey T-shirt and worn jeans, making his yellow-blond hair stand out. He smiled, waving a little as he took a seat at a respectful distance.

Soundwave looked at him for a moment, then at the rest of the cafeteria. There weren't many open seats. Considering he wasn't an Autobot, the Senior decided to let him stay.

Bumblebee took a pocket notebook out of his backpack, writing something on it and offering it to the Decepticon.

Soundwave gave the note a suspicious glance, reading;

 _My name is Bumblebee. You're a Decepticon, right?_

Soundwave thought for a moment, wondering why he didn't just speak aloud. He glanced back at Megatron. His absence hadn't yet been noted.

Taking out his own pen, Soundwave replied;

 _What are you doing here_

Bumblebee read, then shrugged, writing again.

 _I could ask you the same thing._

Soundwave stared at the Freshman, both confused and intrigued by his boldness. Was he interested in becoming a Decepticon? No. If he was, he would go to one of the others. Was he… being _friendly?_ Why?

Bumblebee seemed to sense his suspicion, and wrote more,

 _You don't mind me sitting here, do you? I was just curious as to why you weren't with the rest of them._

Something clicked. Soundwave looked at him for a long time, then took his pen and put it back in his pocket. He didn't care where Bumblebee sat or what he wanted to know. Only one thing was important at the moment. Soundwave put up his hands, gesturing in perfect sign language;

 _You can't speak, can you._

Bumblebee stared for a moment, looking a bit surprised that he had found out so quickly. His perky aura faded a bit as he shook his head. Soundwave blinked, empathetic. Glancing around again, he did something he hated. He brushed his long hair off his shoulder, exposing the scar where his vocal chords had been damaged.

 _Neither can I._ He signed.

xxx

The next day, Bumblebee sat with him again. Soundwave didn't mind. In fact, it was nice to have someone to speak to in silent conversation. Bumblebee had also lost his voice, similarly to what had happened to Soundwave. He described it as a mutation at birth, requiring a surgery that left his vocal chords permanently damaged. He wasn't deaf. In fact, he could hear just fine, as could Soundwave. However, they both appreciated the silence of their language. Time passed, and the two became close friends, even after Bumblebee joined the Autobots. Personally, Soundwave respected his decision. He himself would have died with the Autobots if it weren't for his history with Megatron. The two spent many lunch hours in the library, talking and using the computers. They agreed not to speak of their factions, isolating their friendship from the conflict.

However, their time together was running out. Already, the school year was drawing to a close. Soundwave was preparing for college, (thankfully a different one than where Megatron was going) and Bumblebee was swamped with Freshman state exams. The two decided to make the best of what they had left, seeing as to they would be going their separate ways.

xxx

With the school year winding down, Prom was also approaching. Soundwave had his eye on a girl he had taken a liking to in the past few months. A transfer student, not belonging to either faction. Her name was Audrey.

Bumblebee couldn't help but notice how he looked at her. He tried to hide it, but it was obvious he had a crush on her. However, when Bee suggested asking her to the dance, Soundwave simply couldn't find the courage.

xxx

Time was running out. Soundwave was convinced he had lost his chance with Audrey after seeing her with another boy. Bumblebee, however, wouldn't let him give up so easily. He decided to investigate.

Audrey was pretty, and one of the friendliest people Bee had ever met.

"Oh, hi!" She greeted cheerfully as he walked up to the group. "You're Bumblebee, right?"

Bee nodded, not quite sure how to ask what he wanted to know. Soundwave would go out of his mind if he found out he had told her.

"What's the matter?" Asked the boy beside her, the boy Soundwave had seen her with so often. "Cat got your tongue?"

" _Mason!_ " Audrey hissed, elbowing him in the chest. "He's mute!"

Mason grimaced. "Ouch… sorry."

Audrey rolled her eyes, turning back to Bee.

"You'll have to forgive my brother. He can be kind of… dense, at times." She said, making room for him to join them. Bee glanced around, making sure Soundwave wasn't anywhere nearby. He sat, taking out his notepad.

 _My friend wants to meet you._ He wrote, _But he's too shy to talk to you on his own. Can I bring him?_

Audrey read, blinking. Realizing what he meant, she blushed a little.

"W-well, I suppose, yes." She said. "But who-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Bumblebee was gone.

xxx

Soundwave was in the library, studying. He couldn't concentrate with his gaze always returning to the romance novel he had checked out. He would have to keep it hidden from Megatron…

All of a sudden, Bee was at his side, signing excitedly;

 _Remember that other guy you saw Audrey with? It's her brother. You still have a chance, and now she wants to see you!_

Soundwave blushed furiously, unsure how to respond. To Bumblebee's shock, he shook his head, motioning to the numerous textbooks and loose papers before him. Bee snatched one up, scribbling something on it before dragging Soundwave out of the library.

Audrey was standing now, trying to figure out where Bumblebee had gone. Spotting him, she smiled, her expression changing when she saw Soundwave.

Bee stopped, and Soundwave stumbled ahead of him. Regaining his balance, he straightened up, coming face to face with Audrey.

He froze, blushing. Bumblebee grabbed his hand and put the paper in it, showing it to Audrey. Now her pale olive cheeks turned crimson. She was surprised, but not upset, as Soundwave had earlier insisted she would be. She looked up at him, smiling a little when he saw how flustered he looked.

"Of course," She said. Soundwave blinked, pausing to look at what Bumblebee had written.

 _Prom?_


	13. Q&A

**Q &A **

**xxx**

 **A/N: I know it's kind of dumb, but I'll put this in anyway. Those of you that have read the entire Triple Beat Trilogy (if you have, I can't thank you enough. You are an amazing person) may be wondering how it all came to be. The story behind Triple Beat is longer than you might expect. I didn't just sit down one day and start writing it. I'll also be answering a question about this particular fic.**

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(In response to chapter 8) Anonymous asked: What's the point of doing something like this? Breaking your own 4th wall? Turning everyone into organic dragons for no apparent reason?

The Dragonformers chapter didn't really have much of a point. Honestly, not many of the Odds and Ends chapters do. Keep in mind that these are just one-shot spinoffs from the original Triple Beat trilogy, and are really just bits and pieces of the story that didn't fit into the main plot. (Thus, the name) I love dragons, and I love transformers, so I decided to use my Triple Beat OCs in a Dragonformers chapter. I thought it would be interesting to put myself in it because I often imagine myself as being a part of my own stories. The character of Audrey is very similar to my personality. I did it this way because I thought it would be an interesting twist on other dragonformers stories, which often just make the characters into dragons with no explanation for how they ended up that way. As you may have noticed, I am not normal and I like to do things that get my readers thinking. Sometimes there isn't an obvious reason for why I write something.

xxx

Where did you get your inspiration for the Triple Beat trilogy?

Well, my initial inspiration came from another fanfiction here on the 'net, "A Girl Anew", by TFPKOfangirl. An excellent fanfiction, which I would definitely recommend. (See the link at the end of this chapter if you're interested!) This is a Knockout x Hybrid Human fanfiction. I'm a die-hard Soundwave fan, however, which is where Soundwave x Audrey began.

xxx

How long did it take to write this story?

If you count all the time I took "editing" (writing drafts and deleting them over and over), a little over two years. But don't freak out! Most of it didn't involve the development of the final stories. In the briefest summary I can give, this is what the history of Triple Beat looked like:

Base inspiration: Transformers Prime series on Netflix. I was about 12 at the time and was intent on writing a script for a new chapter after the series ended. I learned quickly that you can't do that unless you actually work for Hasbro (which I don't, especially not at 12 years old). However, I received an email from one of the actual screenwriters for TFP encouraging me to continue writing.

Ignition: That email is what sparked my formal writing career. I had always liked reading and writing, but now I felt like I was doing something for real. I dabbled in original stories for a while until I discovered fanfiction (A Girl Anew) and was instantly hooked.

Amatuer: I couldn't tell you all the drafts I went through trying to write Triple Beat. I spent about a full year writing several chapters at a time, then deleting them all because they just didn't work. My original story was focused mainly around the plot of Soul Beats. It wasn't until after I took a few months off that I decided to make Soundwave the main character.

The Real Deal: Once I began writing Triple Beat, the story started to come together. It didn't take long to finish Triple Beat. Twin Beats took a bit longer, about four months. Soul Beats became the longest of the three, being the climax and resolution of the main plot.

xxx

FUN FACTS:

In the beginnings of Triple Beat, Audrey was the main character. She was initially an experiment of Shockwave's, kidnapped and turned into a hybrid. During her imprisonment on the Nemesis, she met Soundwave and fell in love with him as he helped her escape.

Until I finished Soul Beats, I hadn't written Audrey's actual escape from the Decepticons. Most, if not all, of the previous drafts cut off just before she found a way to escape.

Akiko is a typo. His original name was supposed to be Akio, a Japanese name meaning "glorious hero". Akiko is actually a girl's name, meaning "Autumn child".

The character of Akiko may have been created even before Audrey's brother, Mason.

At some point, Audrey and Mason had gone through a drafted backstory involving them escaping a house fire and somehow ending up in Akiko's care.

In several drafts of this story, there were between six and ten six hybrids living together. Either Akiko or Mason was usually the leader.

Audrey went through many names, including Dua, Vela, and Aubrey.

In an early draft of the story, Akiko's name was KanSei (nickname SeiSei) he was blind, deaf and mute, but had an uncanny sense of feel, which allowed him to sense vibrations in the air in order to "hear" and even sense danger from afar. (?)

Vibes and Melody didn't exist until I began the official writing of Triple Beat.

In some of Soundwave's previous back stories he was an orphan on the streets of Cybertron, taken in by a young scientist (Ratchet) and kidnapped into the Decepticon ranks when the war began.

Soundwave also went through many alternative names (Each was supposed to be his "real" name. For some reason I decided it must have been changed when he became a Decepticon) Including Nova, Sunder and Starcatcher.

In one draft of Triple Beat, Soundwave, along with several of the original hybrids, went into the Well of Allsparks after Optimus, because they knew (for some reason) the Matrix of Leadership wouldn'e be enough to activate the repopulation of Cybertron. (?) Many of those who did this left behind a sibling or romantic partner. It was kind of depressing…

I actually considered killing off Soundwave in Soul Beats, taking after the draft mentioned above. Thankfully, I didn't…

Soundwave's only male blood relative was his father, Stiletto.

I never mentioned it in Soul Beats, but the Cybertronian characters' tears are actually coolant.

I didn't edit most of the story because I was too excited to get to the next part. I'm kind of glad it worked out this way because now I can see how well I've progressed in my writing skills.

At first, it was supposed to be Audrey who went into the Shadow Zone to rescue Soundwave, not Mason.

I never mention the twins' alt form in any of the three stories.

In some early drafts of the story, hybrid animals accompany Audrey and her companions. At one point, there were about four: an eagle, a cat, a falcon and a horse.

I still wanted Audrey to have some kind of pet, which is where Isamu came from.

At one point, I considered making Akiko a relative/sibling of Miko, but their backstories never lined up right.

When you put Soundwave's and Audrey's initials together is spells swag. :3

Audrey and Mason's last name was originally Reed, not Graham.

Even though there is some romance, the Triple Beat Trilogy is based mostly around family values. (not giving up, sticking together, loyalty, etc)

You can find illustrations for Triple Beat and other stories on instagram 247wonder and #tfptriplebeat

Akiko was supposed to walk Audrey down the aisle at her wedding.

xxx

 **Feel free to review and add your own questions about Triple Beat! I'm always up for answering general questions about writing, as well. Keep in mind I'm not a professional (yet) but as an aspiring author one of the best ways for me to continue learning is to answer other people's questions. Thanks again for reading! God bless you all! :3**

 **Stay wonderful!**

 **-Wonder**


	14. Personality Quiz!

**Which Triple Beat Character are You?**

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 **Personality quiz! Which of the Triple Beat OCs are you? Some of the questions are pretty basic (okay, a lot of them are) but this is really just for fun. You'll need to keep track of your answers on a piece of paper or something, and tally up which ones you got the most of in the end.**

 **Enjoy! :3**

 **xxx**

Question 1: What is your favorite food?

a) Ribs

b) Pasta

c) Sushi

d) CAKE!

e) Pizza

f) Whatever's available

g) All foods

Question 2: What is your favorite color?

a) Crystal Blue

b) Neon Green

c) Pink

d) All the colors!

e) Red or Blue

f) Gold or Silver

g) Black

Question 3: What is your spirit animal?

a) Puppy - loving and loyal

b) Bunny - energetic and cute

c) Songbird - Timid and elegant

d) Butterfly - sweet and youthful

e) Sea Turtle - enduring and helpful

f) Wolf - protective and timeless

g) Fox - mischievous and clever

Question 4: One word to describe you is…

a) Average, I guess?

b) Fabulous

c) Quiet

d) Adorable

e) Sentimental

f) Wise

g) Protective

Question 5: Which original TFP character would be your best friend?

a) Soundwave

b) Bumblebee

c) Arcee

d) Megatron

e) Rafael

f) Optimus

g) Jack

Question 6: Favorite pastime?

a) Spending time with my family

b) Playing video games

c) Listening to music

d) Whatever my friend wants to do

e) Whatever will get my friend to stop nagging to do something

f) Reading

g) Trying to get my crush's attention

Question 7: Who do you look up to?

a) My significant other

b) My sibling(s)

c) A loved one that passed away

d) My father

e) My mother

f) Someone younger than me

g) My friends

 **xxx**

 **Done? Let's see what you got! Note: if you have an equal number of more than one answer, you can either pick your favorite or keep all the ones you got!**

 **xxx**

 **Mostly a: Audrey**

Audrey is the main character in Soul Beats. Mentally, she is one of the strongest. Fearless, but she has a breaking point. She relies on others for support and has a strong sense of family. Though she may not admit it, she is a great example for others.

 **Mostly b: Vibes**

Vibes is a twin, but that doesn't mean she's the same as her sister. In fact, they are very different. Vibes is the ultimate optimist, though she can be easily hurt. As an extravert, she is able to make fast, strong connections with others.

 **Mostly c: Melody**

Melody is a more introverted character, with a strong heart. She's been hurt before, but that doesn't stop her from leading a happy life. When she is with her sister, she can see the good in any situation.

 **Mostly d: Harmony**

One of the most lively characters in the story, Harmony is a bubbly little ball of energy. She can brighten anyone's day and loves her friends and family. Not immune to emotional damage, but she bounces back quick.

 **Mostly e: Orion**

A well-rounded character, Orion takes after his father with a strong sense of right and wrong. He cares deeply for those close to him and is (relatively) patient. Mature for his age, he isn't afraid to follow his heart.

 **Mostly f: Akiko**

One of the most respected characters, Akiko is wise and protective. He is willing to make sacrifices to help his loved ones. A selfless character with a pure heart. He may have some secrets, which makes him mysterious. Don't doubt his loyalty.

 **Mostly g: Mason**

Mason is the "big brother" character of Soul Beats. Like Soundwave in Triple Beat, he protects his loved ones fiercely. He follows his instinct, taking no chances with those who are close to him.

 **xxx**

 **So, what did you think? Review to let me know! Stay wonderful, and God bless! :3**


	15. Deleted Scenes

**Deleted Scenes**

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 **A/N: So these are some scenes from the drafting of Triple Beat that never made it into the final story. I didn't want to leave them out, though, so here they are. Enjoy! :3**

 **xxx**

 **Akiko's Funeral**

(Audrey's POV)

I stood over an empty grave. The headstone in front of me was small, but the pain it came with was greater than anything I had ever experienced.

I read the words again:

 _Akiko Hisakawa 1987-2015_

He never reached thirty years old.

It had been Mason's idea to hold a funeral, even though there wasn't much money left to host it. The reception was heartbreakingly beautiful.

"They even played your favorite song." I said quietly to the empty grave. They never found the body. There were plenty of witnesses, but I didn't want to hear the details.

I remember the night that he visited me for the last time. That horrible night… just when I thought there might be some hope left.

It's hard to explain the relationship Akiko and I had. It was something like father and daughter. He cared for us, protected us. Sure, he had his days. He never did agree with Fowler.

He was the one that taught me how to love.

"Audrey,"

I didn't look up. Soundwave sighed, kneeling next to me.

"Are you ready to go home?"

Again, I didn't respond. Soundwave was silent for a moment, then stood again.

"Tell him thank you for me."

I glanced at him as he walked back to join the others. The children were getting restless. Looking back to the headstone, I sighed.

"I'm okay." I said quietly. "... But I wish you were here… to see how far we've come."

 **Boomerang (Character)**

 _A/N: So, Boomerang was a character concept for a side story in Triple Beat where Soundwave and the twins took care of a young orphan during their years before the war. This won't be so much of a chapter as it is a couple of scenes where he would have been featured._

xxx

Boomerang smiled,

"I'll be back." He sais. "That's how I got my name, isn't it?"

Vibes nodded, blinking away tears. He turned to Soundwave.

"Thanks again. I owe you one."

Before anyone could say anything more, the young mech transformed and flew off, disappearing into the afternoon sky.

xxx

"Boomerang?" Soundwave breathed, astonished.

"The one and only." The mech grinned. "I said I owed you one, didn't I?"

"But-"

"No buts. Just let me show you what I brought."

He bent to open the case at his feet. Out of it tumbled a small black creature, which stumbled to its feet… and meowed.

"Kitty!" Ezekiel squealed, scooping up the metallic feline. Audrey smiled, and Soundwave was speechless.

"Built him myself." Boomerang beamed. "Requires absolutely no maintenance, and he's even got a power button for when the kids are done playing with him."

"Dad! Can we name him Ravage?" Harmony begged. She was going through kind of a punk phase, obsessed with everything dark and mysterious (like her father) and had suddenly become interested in the war. _Ravage_ was a new favorite word.

Before anyone could respond, Boomerang produced a data tablet and handed it to Soundwave.

"And don't think I forgot about you parents. I heard Audrey was from earth, so I worked out a deal with my buddy that works out there to get you guys a bit of your own land.

Audrey's eyes widened. Taking the tablet from her husband, she looked at the description. She gasped.

"Soundwave… this is in _Japan!_ "

She had wanted to make a memorial there ever since Akiko's funeral, but so far they hadn't found the time…

"Boomerang, I-"

Boomerang shook his head. "Don't say anything." He glanced at his watch. "It's already time for me to go again. Always on the go, you know? Anyway, it was nice to see you again, Soundwave, and your family. The deed can be refunded if you don't like the location."

"Wait," Harmony said, standing up. "Where are you going? Will we ever see you again?"

Boomerang just smiled. "Wherever I go, you can always know that I'll be back."

 **Audrey's Alt Mode**

 _A/N: This won't be so much of a scene as it is a description. If you've read Soul Beats, you might have noticed I never mention Audrey having an alt mode. In the beginning of the story, she had not yet chosen one, and even during the epilogue there was no indication that she had an alt mode. My initial idea was to make her some kind of jet, but for some reason I wanted her to be a little more unique. I couldn't think of any cars that fit her sleek, linear style, and I thought a water vehicle would be a bit strange. (Anyone remember G1 Seaspray? Yeah, she's nothing like him) So I went for the only other semi-conventional vehicle I could think of… a train._

 _Now, don't get all freaked out just yet, she's not just any train. She's a japanese-style maglev. I absolutely adore these trains for their looks and speed. So, she'll be confined to the rails, but at least she'll look cool. She probably would only transform into the main engine, to keep her size ratio. Anyway, you're going to have to let me know what you think. Was a maglev a good call, or should I have chosen something else?_

 **Twins' Alt Modes**

It was late autumn, and Mason had insisted on taking the twins to the nearest auto dealership to get them a new alt-mode.

Concealed behind the trees that stood behind the lot, Mason checked the area again.

"Okay," He said. "Coast is clear. Did you guys pick yet?"

Vibes nodded, staring intently at the vehicle she knew she had to be. Melody followed her out into the lot, and Mason watched as they approached the sporty white compact on the edge of the lot. They had really taken him seriously when he said they needed to blend in.

However, Mason was surprised by what happened next. At the same moment, the twins' scanners illuminated their choice. In a matter of moments, their armor had adjusted to fit the features of their new alt and they transformed.

Their color schemes stood out, but at least they weren't cybertronian vehicles anymore. The twins drove around the lot and back to where Mason waited.

"You didn't want to choose different things?" He asked, noting how Vibes had been the one that stared at the vehicle so fervidly.

"We can't." Melody said simply. "As twins, we share a split T-cog. If we chose different alts, there would be no telling what could go wrong." She glanced at her beaming sister. "I chose our last alt, so we agreed that Vi would get to choose this one."

Mason shrugged. "Well, at least the drive home will be easier. Let's go home."

 **Tween Harmony**

(This takes place just after "First Crush")

Audrey rushed to her daughter's room, Soundwave close on her heels. What they found… Audrey couldn't help but grin a little.

Harmony was in hysterics, staring wide-eyed at a human hand in front of her. _Her_ human hand. She looked up at her mother in distress,

"What's going on?!" She cried. Still recovering from her rejection with Zephyr, this certainly wasn't helping.

Audrey didn't quite know what to do. Her cybertronian daughter had turned into a human girl, small, frail and…

And naked.

"Soundwave!" Audrey gasped all too late. She shooed him away. "Go on! I'll take care of her."

xxx

Shutting the door, Audrey turned back to her daughter. Morphing into her human form she gathered the frantic girl into her arms.

"Shh, you're alright," She coaxed. "I'm just as surprised as you. But it makes sense, I suppose."

"Am I gonna be a human forever?" Harmony fretted, looking back at her mother with wide teal eyes. Audrey just smiled.

"Don't worry about that, honey." She said. "What we need to worry about right now is… getting you some clothes! My goodness, where is my brain today?" She stood up, helping Harmony to her feet. "Let's see. There should be some extra clothes in grandma and grandpa's apartment. Come on."

Luckily, the apartment was built into Harmony's bedroom. Audrey unlocked the door and sat her down on the bed. Thankfully, the entire house was in a closed environment just in case anything like this suddenly happened. There was plenty of oxygen sealed in the dome that encased the yard outside, where Philip and Emile had helped plant a garden.

"I've never been in here before." Harmony commented, curiosity replacing her burst of panic. "I wouldn't have fit, before."

Audrey nodded, sifting through the dresser for something of a reasonable size. Finally, she produced a pair of black leggings and a loose T-shirt. She helped Harmony put them on and stood back, seeing how they fit.

"That's better." She concluded.

xxx

Ratchet confirmed that Harmony would be alright. She was developing the ability to morph, like her mother. However, she would need to practice her skill before going back out into Cybertron's airless atmosphere. Naturally, Audrey decided to take her to Earth until she was ready.

"You're going to have so much fun, Harmony," She beamed. "Earth is a totally different experience in human form. The smells, the flavors! You're going to love it!"

Harmony couldn't help but grin at her mother's gushing.

"How long do you think you two will be gone?" Soundwave asked. The decision had been so sudden there had been no time to talk about how long it would all take.

"I really don't know," Audrey admitted. "It took me almost a full month to master it. But whatever happens-"

"-It's going to be okay." Soundwave finished. "Take your time. I can see you've been waiting to have an experience like this. Teach her to be human. We'll be alright here, won't we Ezekiel?"

Zeke nodded, still staring at his sister.

"You'll come to visit, though, right?" Harmony asked, hugging her father's digit. He smiled.

"Of course, sweetheart."

He straightened up. "Are you two ready, then?"

Audrey looked to her daughter. Harmony nodded.

xxx

Audrey and Harmony spent the next few weeks at their summer home in Japan. Once Harmony got over the ground bridge effects, they were able to visit Philip and Emile back in America. There, Emile sewed her granddaughter a body suit to match her mother's.

"Oh, it's beautiful, mom!" Audrey exclaimed when Harmony tried it on. The indigo fabric fit perfectly and matched her cyberform armor.

"Only the best for my girls," Emile smiled at Harmony. "Oh, sweetie, you look so pretty. I've imagined what you would look like as a human, but you're much more beautiful than anything I could have thought up!"

Harmony blushed a little, grinning.

"Thanks, grandma."

 **Guy's Day Out**

Audrey and Harmony were on Earth completing Harmony's training. Vibes was visiting a friend on the opposite end of the city, and Melody was at a job interview. That left Mason, Rodimus, Soundwave and the boys with nothing to do.

"Why don't you all do something together?" Melody had suggested on her way out. "Go do some 'guy' things."

None of them knew what she had meant by that. Rodimus had never had much free time before he met Melody, so he wasn't very helpful in deciding what to do. Neither was Soundwave, considering his main interests were taking care of his family and listening to his old playlists on repeat. Mason had a few ideas, but they were all Earth activities. In the end, the mechs just sat down with some Energon while Orion kept Ezekiel busy.

xxx

When the femmes came back, they all wanted to know what the mechs had done on their "guy's day out". They all looked at each other and back.

"We missed you."


	16. Link Library

Here's the links to the (COMPLETE!) Triple Beat series. Thank you all for reading this. I really can't express my gratitude! God bless you, and stay wonderful!

-Wonder

xxx

 **Book 1(Triple Beat):** s/11932884/1/Triple-Beat

 **Odds & Ends 1: ** s/12073459/1/Odds-Ends

 **Book 2 (Twin Beat):** s/12129963/1/Transformers-Prime-Twin-Beat

 **Odds & Ends (Holiday fluff!): ** s/12283407/1/Odds-Ends-Holiday-Fluff

 **Book 3 (Soul Beats):** s/12291642/1/Soul-Beats

 **Odds & Ends (finale): ** s/12426588/1/Odds-Ends-Finale


End file.
